nia 


LOUIS   X1T. 


/IDafeers  of  1btetor£ 


Louis  XIV. 


BY  JOHN   S.  C.  ABBOTT 


WITH  ENGRAVINGS 


NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 
HARPER    &    BROTHERS    PUBLISHERS 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  In  the  year  1870,  by 

HARPER   &   BROTHERS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington 


Copyright,  1898,  by  LAURA  A.  Buci. 


PREFACE. 


WE  all  live  a  double  life :  the  external  life 
which  the  world  sees,  and  the  internal  life  of 
hopes  and  fears,  joys  and  griefs,  temptations 
and  sins,  which  the  world  sees  not,  and  of 
which  it  knows  but  little.  None  lead  this 
double  life  more  emphatically  than  those  who 
are  seated  upon  thrones. 

Though  this  historic  sketch  contains  allu- 
sions to  all  the  most  important  events  in  the 
reign  of  Louis  XIV.,  it  has  been  the  main  ob- 
ject of  the  writer  to  develop  the  inner  life  of 
the  palace ;  to  lead  the  reader  into  the  interior 
of  the  Louvre,  the  Tuileries,  Versailles,  and 
Marly,  and  to  exhibit  the  monarch  as  a  man, 
in  the  details  of  domestic  privacy. 

This  can  more  easily  be  done  in  reference 
to  Louis  XIV.  than  any  other  king.  Very 
many  of  the  prominent  members  of  his  house- 
hold left  their  autobiographies,  filled  with  the 
minutest  incidents  of  every-day  life. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  any  correct  idea  of 
the  h'f e  of  this  proud  monarch  without  allusion 


viii  PREFACE. 

to  the  corruption  in  the  midst  of  which  he 
spent  his  days.  Still,  the  writer,  while  faithful 
to  fact,  has  endeavored  so  to  describe  these 
scenes  that  any  father  can  safely  read  the  nar- 
rative aloud  to  his  family. 

There  are  few  chapters  in  history  more  re- 
plete with  horrors  than  that  which  records  the 
"Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes."  The 
facts  given  are  beyond  all  possibility  of  con- 
tradiction. In  the  contemplation  of  these 
scenes  the  mind  pauses,  bewildered  by  the  re- 
flection forced  upon  it,  that  many  of  the  actors 
in  these  fiend-like  outrages  were  inspired  by 
motives  akin  to  sincerity  and  conscientious- 
ness. 

The  thoughtful  reader  will  perceive  that  in 
this  long  and  wicked  reign  Louis  XIV.  was 
sowing  the  wind  from  which  his  descendants 
reaped  the  whirlwind.  It  was  the  despotism 
of  Louis  XIY.  and  of  Louis  XV.  which  ushered 
in  that  most  sublime  of  all  earthly  dramas,  the 
French  Revolution. 

JOHN  S.C.ABBOTT. 

New  Haven,  Conn.,  1870. 


CONTENTS, 


Cbapter  f*f» 

I.   BIRTH   AND   CHILDHOOD 13 

H.  THE   BOY-KING 49 

III.  MATRIMONIAL    PROJECTS 8ft 

IV.  THE  MARRIAGE   OP  THE   KING 121 

V.  FESTIVITIES   OF   THE  COURT 151> 

VI.   DEATH   IN   THE  PALACE 194 

VII.   THE  WAR    IN   HOLLAND 234 

VIII.   MADAME  DE   MAINTENON 268 

IX.    THE  REVOCATION   OF   THE   EDICT   OF  NANTES  302 

X.   THE   SECRET  MARRIAGE 330 

XI.   INTRIGUES   AND  WARS 3591 

XII.   LAST  DAYS   OF  LOUIS  XFV 384 

y 


ENGRAVINGS. 


LOUIS  xrv Frontispiece. 

THE   CASTLE   OP  BLOIS 18 

PALACE   OP  ST.  GERMAIN-EN-LAYE 23 

THE  PALAIS  ROYAL 31 

PALACE   OP  THE   LUXEMBOURG 52 

THE  TUILERIES 74 

THE   CASTLE   OP  VINCENNES 79 

PALACE   OP    CHANTILLY 98 

VIEW   OP  FONTAINEBLEAU 103 

ISLE   OP   PHEASANTS 129 

THE   LOUVRE   AND   THE   TUILERIES 139 

PALACE   OP  FONTAINEBLEAU 145 

CHATEAU  MAZARIN 157 

CHATEAU   DE   VAUX 176 

CONVENT   OP  VAL  DE   GRACE 198 

THE   PALACE   OP   ST.  CLOUD 201 

INTERIOR  OP   ST.  DENIS 208 

ST.  DENIS 236 

PORTE   ST.  DENIS 254 

MADAME   DE  MAINTENON 273 

PALACE   OF  VERSAILLES 297 

PARTERRE   OP   VERSAILLES 324 

RACINE   AND   BOILEAU 339 

THE  TRIANON 351 

MARLY 354 

LOUIS   XIV.  DIRECTING  THE   SIEGE 362 

FRONT  VIEW   OP   ST.  GERMAIN 376 

ANNOUNCEMEMT   OP   THE  DEATH   OF  LOUIS   XIV.  . .  409 


LOUIS  XIV. 


CHAPTER  I. 
BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD. 


Marriage  of  Louis  XIII. 


LOUIS  XIII.  of  France  married  Anne  of 
Austria  on  the  25th  of  November,  1615. 
The  marriage  ceremony  was  performed  with 
great  splendor  in  the  Cathedral  of  Bordeaux. 
The  bride  was  exceedingly  beautiful,  tall,  and 
of  exquisite  proportions.  She  possessed  the 
whitest  and  most  delicate  hand  that  ever  made 
an  imperious  gesture.  Her  eyes  were  of 
matchless  beauty,  easily  dilated,  and  of  extra- 
ordinary transparency.  Her  small  and  ruddy 
mouth  looked  like  an  opening  rose-bud.  Long 
and  silky  hair,  of  a  lovely  shade  of  auburn, 
gave  to  the  face  it  surrounded  the  sparkling 
complexion  of  a  blonde,  and  the  animation  of 
a  brunette.* 

The  marriage  was  not  a  happy  one.     Louis 

*  Louis  XIV.  et  son  Sifccle. 


14  Louis  XIV.  [1615. 

Character  of  Louis  XIII. 

XIII.  was  not  a  man  of  any  mental  or  physical 
attractions.  He  was  cruel,  petulant,  and  jeal- 
ous. The  king  had  a  youngjer  brother,  Gaston, 
duke  of  Anjou.  He  was  a  young  man  of  joy- 
ous spirits,  social,  frank,  a  universal  favorite. 
His  moody,  taciturn  brother  did  not  love  him. 
Anne  did.  She  could  not  but  enjoy  his  socie- 
ty. Wounded  by  the  coldness  and  neglect  of 
her  husband,  it  is  said  that  she  was  not  unwill- 
ing, by  rather  a  free  exhibition  of  the  fascina- 
tions of  her  person  and  her  mind,  to  win  the 
admiration  of  Gaston.  She  hoped  thus  to  in- 
spire the  king  with  a  more  just  appreciation  of 
her  merits. 

Louis  XIII.,  at  the  time  of  his  marriage, 
was  a  mere  boy  fourteen  years  of  age.  His 
father  had  died  when  he  was  nine  years  old. 
He  was  left  under  the  care  of  his  mother,  Mary 
de  Medicis,  as  regent.  Anne  of  Austria  was 
a  maturely  developed  and  precocious  child  of 
eleven  years  when  she  gave  her  hand  to  the 
boy-king  of  France.  Not  much  discretion 
could  have  been  expected  of  two  such  children, 
exposed  to  the  idleness,  the  splendors,  and  the 
corruption  of  a  court. 

Anne  was  vain  of  her  beauty,  naturally  co- 
quettish, and  very  romantic  in  her  views  of  life. 


1624]     BIKTII  AND  CHILDHOOD.  15 

Character  of  Anne  of  Austria.  Cardinal  Richelieu. 

It  is  said  that  the  queen  dowager,  wishing  to 
prevent  Anne  from  gaining  much  influence 
over  the  mind  of  the  king,  did  all  she  could  to 
lure  her  into  flirtations  and  gallantries,  which 
alienated  her  from  her  husband.  For  this 
purpose  she  placed  near  her  person  Madame 
Chevreuse,  an  intriguing  woman,  alike  renown- 
ed for  wit,  beauty,  and  unscrupulousness. 

Quite  a  desperate  flirtation  arose  between 
Anne  and  little  Gaston,  who  was  but  nine  years 
of  age.  Gaston,  whom  the  folly  of  the  times 
entitled  Duke  of  Anjou,  hated  Louis,  and  de- 
lighted to  excite  his  jeajousy  and  anger  by  his 
open  and  secret  manifestation  of  love  for  the 
beautiful  Anne.  The  king's  health  failed. 
He  became  increasingly  languid,  morose,  ema- 
ciate. Anne,  young  as  she  was,  was  physically 
a  fully  developed  woman  of  voluptuous  beauty. 
The  undisguised  alienation  which  existed  be 
tween  her  and  the  king  encouraged  other 
courtiers  of  eminent  rank  to  court  her  smiles. 

Cardinal  Richelieu,  notwithstanding  his  ec- 
clesiastical vows,  became  not  only  the  admirer, 
but  the  lover  of  the  queen,  addressing  her  in 
the  most  impassioned  words  of  endearment. 
Thus  years  of  intrigue  and  domestic  wretched- 
ness passed  away  until  1624.  The  queen  had 


16  Louis  XIV.  [1628. 

The  Duke  of  Buckingham.  His  death. 

then  been  married  nine  years,  and  was  twenty 
years  of  age.  She  had  no  children. 

The  reckless,  hot-headed  George  Villiers, 
duke  of  Buckingham,  visited  the  French  court 
to  arrange  terms  of  marriage  between  Henriet- 
ta Maria,  sister  of  Louis  XIII.,  and  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  son  of  James  I.  of  England.  He 
was  what  is  called  a  splendid  man,  of  noble 
bearing,  and  of  chivalric  devotion  to  the  fair. 
The  duke,  boundlessly  rich,  displayed  great 
magnificence  in  Paris.  He  danced  with  the 
queen,  fascinated  her  by  his  openly  avowed 
admiration,  and  won  such  smiles  in  return  as 
to  induce  the  king  and  Cardinal  Richelieu  al- 
most to  gnash  their  teeth  with  rage. 

This  flirtation,  if  we  may  not  express  it  by 
a  more  emphatic  phrase,  created  much  heart- 
burning and  wretchedness,  criminations  and 
recriminations,  in  the  regal  palace.  In  Au- 
gust, 1628,  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  then  in 
England,  terminated  his  wretched  and  guilty 
life.  He  fell  beneath  the  dagger  of  an  assas- 
sin. Anne,  disdaining  all  dissimulation,  wept 
openly,  and,  secluding  herself  from  the  gaye- 
ties  of  the  court,  surrendered  herself  to  grief. 

A  mutual  spirit  of  defiance  existed  between 
the  king  and  queen.  Both  were  wretched. 


1637.]     BIKTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  17 

Estrangement  of  the  king  and  queen. 

Such  are  always  the  wages  of  sin.  Ten  more 
joyless  years  passed  away.  The  rupture  be- 
tween the  royal  pair  was  such  that  they  could 
scarcely  endure  each  other.  Louis  himself 
was  the  first  to  inform  the  queen  of  the  news 
so  satisfactory  to  him,  so  heart-rending  to  her, 
that  a  dagger  had  pierced  the  heart  of  Buck- 
ingham. After  this  they  met  only  at  unfre- 
quent  intervals.  All  confidence  and  sympathy 
were  at  an  end.  It  was  a  bitter  disappointment 
to  the  queen  that  she  had  no  children.  Upon 
the  death  of  the  king,  who  was  in  very  feeble 
health,  her  own  position  and  influence  would 
depend  almost  entirely  upon  her  having  a  son 
to  whom  the  crown  would  descend.  Louis  re- 
sided generally  at  the  Castle  of  Blois.  Anne 
held  her  court  at  the  Louvre. 

A  married  life  of  twenty-two  years  had  pass- 
ed away,  and  still  the  queen  had  no  child. 
Both  she  and  her  husband  had  relinquished  all 
hope  of  offspring.  On  the  evening  of  the  5th 
of  December,  1637,  the  king,  having  made  a 
visit  to  the  Convent  of  the  Visitation,  being 
overtaken  by  a  storm,  drove  to  the  Louvre  in- 
stead of  Blois.  He  immediately  proceeded  to 
the  apartments  of  the  queen.  Anne  was  as- 
tonished, and  did  not  disguise  her  astonishment 
1—2 


18 


Louis  XIV. 


Joy  of  the  nation. 


[1637. 


THE   OA8TLE   OP  ULOI8. 


at  seeing  him.  He,  however,  remained  until 
the  morrow. 

Soon  after  this,  to  the  inexpressible  joy  of 
the  queen,  it  appeared  that  she  was  to  become 
a  mother.  The  public  announcement  of  the 
fact  created  surprise  and  joy  throughout  the 
nation.  The  king  was  equally  astonished  and 
delighted.  He  immediately  hastened  to  the 
Louvre  to  offer  the  queen  his  congratulations. 

The  queen  repaired  to  St.  Germain-en-Laye, 
about  six  miles  from  Versailles,  to  await  the 


1638.]     BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  19 


Birth  of  Louis  XIV. 


birth  of  her  child.  Here  she  occupied,  in  the 
royal  palace,  the  gorgeous  apartments  in  which 
Henry  IV.  had  formerly  dwelt.  The  king 
himself  also  took  up  his  abode  in  the  palace. 
The  excitement  was  so  great  that  St.  Germain 
was  crowded  with  the  nobility,  who  had  flock- 
ed to  the  place  in  anxious  expectancy  of  the 
great  event.  Others,  who  could  not  be  accom- 
modated at  St.  Germain,  stationed  couriers  on 
the  road  to  obtain  the  earliest  intelligence  of 
the  result. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1638,  the  king 
was  greeted  with  the  joyful  tidings  of  the  birth 
of  a  son.  A  vast  crowd  had  assembled  in  front 
of  the  palace.  The  king,  in  the  exuberance  of 
his  delight,  took  the  child  from  the  nurse,  and, 
stepping  out  upon  a  balcony,  exhibited  him  to 
the  crowd,  exclaiming,  "  A  son !  gentlemen,  a 
son !" 

The  announcement  was  received  with  a  uni- 
versal shout  of  joy.  The  happy  father  then 
took  the  babe  into  an  adjoining  apartment, 
where  the  bishops  were  assembled  to  perform 
the  ordinance  of  baptism.  These  dignitaries 
of  the  Church  had  been  kneeling  around  a 
temporary  altar  praying  for  the  queen.  The 
Bishop  of  Meaux  performed  the  ceremony.  A 


20  Louis  XIV.  [1638. 

Gift  of  the  Pope. 

Te  Deum  was  then  chanted  in  the  chapel  of 
the  castle.  Immediately  after  this,  the  king 
wrote  an  autograph  letter  to  the  corporation 
of  Paris,  announcing  the  joyful  tidings.  A 
courier  was  dispatched  with  the  document  at 
his  highest  possible  speed. 

The  enthusiasm  excited  in  the  capital  sur- 
passed any  thing  which  had  ever  before  been 
witnessed.  The  common  people,  the  nobles, 
the  ecclesiastics,  and  the  foreign  embassadors, 
vied  with  each  other  in  their  demonstrations 
of  joy.  A  few  months  after,  in  July,  an  extra- 
ordinary messenger  arrived  from  the  pope,  to 
convey  to  the  august  mother  and  her  child  the 
blessing  of  the  holy  father.  lie  also  present- 
ed the  queen,  for  her  babe,  swaddling-clothes 
which  had  been  blessed  by  his  holiness.  These 
garments  were  exceedingly  rich  with  gold  and 
silver  embroidery.  They  were  inclosed  in  a 
couple  of  chests  of  red  velvet,  and  elicited  the 
admiration  of  the  royal  pair. 

The  France  of  that  day  was  very  different 
from  that  magnificent  empire  which  now  stands 
in  intellectual  culture,  arts,  and  arms,  promi- 
nent among  the  nations  of  the  globe.  The 
country  was  split  up  into  hostile  factions,  over 
which  haughty  nobles  ruled.  The  roads  in  the 


1640.]     BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  21 

Condition  of  Paris.  Reconciliation  of  the  king  and  queen. 

rural  districts  were  almost  impassable.  Paris 
itself  was  a  small  and  dirty  city,  with  scarcely 
any  police  regulations,  and  infested  with  rob- 
bers. There  were  no  lamps  to  light  the  city 
by  night.  The  streets  were  narrow,  ill  paved, 
and  choked  with  mud  and  refuse.  Immedi- 
ately after  nightfall  these  dark  and  crooked 
thoroughfares  were  thronged  with  robbers  and 
assassins,  whose  depredations  were  of  the  most 
audacious  kind. 

Socially,  morally,  and  intellectually,  France 
was  at  the  lowest  ebb.  The  masses  of  the  peo- 
ple were  in  a  degraded  condition  of  squalid 
poverty  and  debasement..  Still  the  king,  by 
enormous  taxation,  succeeded  in  wresting  from 
his  wretched  subjects  an  income  to  meet  the 
expenses  of  his  court,  amounting  to  about  four 
millions  of  our  money.  But  the  outlays  were 
so  enormous  that  even  this  income  was  quite 
unavailing,  and  innumerable  measures  of  ex- 
tortion were  adopted  to  meet  the  deficit. 

The  king  was  so  much  gratified  by  the  birth 
of  a  dauphin  that  for  a  time  he  became  quite 
reconciled  to  his  beautiful  and  haughty  queen. 
Two  years  after  the  birth  of  the  dauphin,  on 
the  21st  of  September,  1640,  Anne  gave  birth 
to  a  second  son,  who  took  the  title  of  Philip, 


22  Louis  XIV.  [1640. 

Orders  of  Louis  XIII.  respecting  the  danphin. 

duke  of  Anjou.  The  queen  and  her  two  chil 
dren  resided  in  the  beautiful  palace  of  Saint 
Germain-en-Laye,  where  the  princes  were  born. 

A  company  of  French  Guards,  commanded 
by  Captain  Montigni,  protected  the  castle. 
Madame  de  Lausac  was  the  governess  of  the 
two  children.  The  title  by  which  the  king's 
brother  was  usually  designated  was  simply 
Monsieur.  But  for  these  children  of  the  king, 
the  crown,  upon  the  death  of  the  monarch, 
would  descend  immediately  to  Monsieur,  the 
king's  brother.  The  morals  of  the  times  were 
such  that  the  king  was  ever  apprehensive  that 
some  harm  might  come  to  the  children  through 
the  intrigues  of  his  brother.  Monsieur  lived 
in  Paris.  The  king  left  orders  with  Madame 
de  Lausac  that,  should  his  brother  vis^t  the 
queen,  the  officers  of  the  household  should  im- 
mediately surround  the  dauphin  for  his  protec- 
tion, and  that  Monsieur  should  not  be  permit- 
ted to  enter  the  palace  should  he  be  accompa- 
nied by  more  than  three  persons. 

To  Montigni,  the  captain  of  the  guard,  the 
king  gave  half  of  a  gold  coin,  of  which  he  re- 
tained the  other  half.  Montigni  was  com- 
manded to  watch  over  the  persons  of  the  princes 
with  the  utmost  vigilance.  Should  he  receive 


1643.]      BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  25 


111  health  of  Louis  XIII. 


an  order  to  remove  them,  or  to  transfer  them 
to  other  hands,  he  was  enjoined  not  to  obey 
that  order,  even  should  it  be  in  the  handwrit- 
ing of  his  majesty  himself,  unless  he  at  the 
same  time  received  the  other  half  of  the  broken 
coin. 

The  king,  as  we  have  mentioned,  had  been 
for  some  time  in  feeble  health.  Early  in  the 
spring  of  1643  he  became  seriously  ill.  The 
symptoms  were  so  alarming  as  to  lead  the 
king,  as  well  as  his  friends,  to  think  that  death 
could  not  be  far  distant.  There  are  few  men 
so  hardened  as  to  be  able  to  contemplate  with- 
out some  degree  of  anxiety  death  and  the  final 
judgment.  The  king  was  alarmed.  He  be- 
took himself  to  prayer  and  to  the  scrupulous 
discharge  of  his  religious  duties. 

In  preparation  for  the  great  change,  he  re- 
paired to  Saint  Germain  to  invest  the  queen 
with  the  regency  when  he  should  die.  His 
brother,  Monsieur,  who  had  taken  the  title  of 
the  Duke  of  Orleans,  arid  all  the  leading  nobles 
of  the  court,  were  present.  The  king,  pale, 
t  emaciate,  and  with  death  staring  him  in  the 
face,  was  bolstered  in  his  bed.  Anne  of  Aus- 
tria stood  weeping  by  his  side.  She  did  not 
love  her  husband — she  did  love  power ;  but 


26  Louis  XIV.  [lG4a 

The  dauphin  declared  King  Louis  XIV. 

the  scene  was  so  solemn  and  so  affecting  as  to 
force  tears  into  all  eyes.  The  dauphin  was 
then  four  and  a  half  years  old.  lie  was  de- 
clared king,  with  the  title  of  Louis  XIV.,  un- 
der the  regency  of  his  mother  until  he  should 
attain  his  majority. 

The  next  day,  April  21st,  the  christening  of 
the  dauphin  with  his  new  title  took  place  with 
great  state  in  the  chapel  of  the  palace.  After 
the  celebration  of  the  rite,  the  dauphin  was 
carried  into  the  chamber  of  his  dying  father, 
and  seated  upon  the  bed  by  his  side.  The 
poor  king,  dying  in  the  prime  of  life,  was  op- 
pressed with  the  profoundest  melancholy. 
There  was  nothing  in  the  memory  of  the  past 
to  give  him  pleasure ;  nothing  in  the  future  to 
inspire  him  with  well-grounded  hope.  Turn- 
ing to  the  little  prince,  who  had  just  been  chris- 
tened with  the  royal  title,  he  inquired, 

"  "What  is  your  name,  my  child  ?" 

"  Louis  XIV.,"  the  dauphin  promptly  replied. 

"  Not  yet,"'  said  the  king,  sadly,  shaking  his 
head  ;  "  but  pray  God  that  it  may  soon  be  so." 

A  few  more  days  of  sickness  and  suffering 
passed  away,  during  which  it  was  almost  hour- 
ly expected  that  the  king  would  die.  Death 
often  comes  to  the  palace  invested  with  terrors 


1643.]      BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  27 


Last  hours  of  Louis  XIII. 


unknown  in  the  cottage.  Beneath  his  sceptre 
all  gradations  and  conditions  of  rank  disap- 
pear. The  sufferings  of  the  king  were  such 
that  he  longed  for  release. 

On  the  13th  of  May,  as  the  shades  of  even- 
ing were  gathering  around  his  dying  bed,  he 
anxiously  inquired  of  his  physicians  if  it  were 
possible  that  he  could  live  until  morning. 
They  consulted  together,  and  then  informed 
him  that  they  did  not  think  it  possible. 

"  God  be  praised !"  the  king  replied.  "  I 
think  it  is  now  time  that  I  should  take  leave 
of  all  whom  I  love." 

The  royal  household  was  immediately  as- 
sembled around  the  couch  of  the  dying  mon- 
arch. He  had  sufficient  strength  to  throw  his 

O 

arms  around  the  neck  of  the  queen,  and  to  press 
her  tenderly  to  his  heart  In  such  an  hour 
past  differences  are  forgotten.  In  low  and 
broken  tones  of  voice,  the  king  addressed  the 
queen  in  a  few  parting  words  of  endearment. 

The  dauphin  was  then  placed  in  his  arms. 
Silently,  but  with  tearful  eyes,  he  pressed  his 
thin  and  parched  lips  to  both  cheeks  and  to  the 
brow  of  the  child,  who  was  too  young  to  com- 
prehend the  solemn  import  of  the  scene. 

His  brother,  Monsieur,  the  duke  of  Orleans, 


28  Louis  XIY.  [1643. 

Death  of  Louis  XIII. 

the  king  had  never  loved.  In  these  later  years 
he  had  regarded  him  with  implacable  hostility. 
But,  subdued  by  the  influences  of  death,  he 
bade  that  brother  an  eternal  adieu,  with  even 
fond  caresses.  Indeed,  he  had  become  so  far 
reconciled  to  Monsieur  that  he  had  appointed 
him  lieutenant  general  of  the  kingdom,  under 
the  regency  of  Anne  of  Austria,  during  the  mi- 
nority  of  the  dauphin. 

Several  of  the  higher  ecclesiastics  were  pres- 
ent, who  had  assisted  in  preparing  him  to  die. 
lie  affectionately  embraced  them  all,  and  then 
requested  the  Bishop  of  Meaux  to  read  the 
service  for  the  dying.  While  it  was  being 
read  he  sank  into  a  lethargy,  and  never  spoke 
again.  He  died  in  the  forty-second  year  of 
his  age,  after  a  reign  of  thirty-three  years,  hav- 
ing ascended  the  throne  when  but  nine  years 
old. 

Immediately  after  the  death  of  the  king, 
Anne  of  Austria  held  a  private  interview  with 
Monsieur,  in  which  they -agreed  to  co-operate 
in  the  maintenance  of  each  other's  authority. 
The  Parliament  promptly  recognized  the  queen 
as  regent,  and  the  Duke  of  Orleans  as  lieutenant 
general,  during  the  minority  of  the  dauphin. 

The  Duke  de  Grammont,  one  of  the  highest 


1643.]      BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  29 


Louis  XIV.  recognized  king. 


nobles  of  France,  and  a  distinguished  member 
of  the  court  of  Louis  XIII.,  had  a  son,  the 
Count  de  Guiche,  a  few  months  older  than  the 
dauphin.  This  child  was  educated  as  the  play- 
fellow and  the  companion  in  study  of  the 
young  king.  One  of  the  first  acts  of  Anne  of 
Austria  was  to  assemble  the  leading  bodies  of 
the  realm  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  her 
son.  The  little  fellow,  four  and  a  half  years 
old,  arraj^ed  in  imperial  robes,  was  seated  upon 
the  throne.  The  Count  de  Guiche,  a  very  se- 
date, thoughtful,  precocious  child,  was  placed 
upon  the  steps,  that  his  undoubted  propriety  of 
behavior  might  be  a  pattern  to  the  infant  king. 
Both  of  the  children  behaved  remarkably  well. 
Soon  after  this,  at  the  close  of  the  year  1643, 
the  queen,  with  her  household,  who  had  resided 
during  the  summer  in  the  palace  of  the  Louvre, 
took  up  her  residence  in  what  was  then  called 
the  Cardinal  Palace.  This  magnificent  build- 
ing, which  had  been  reared  at  an  enormous  ex- 
pense, had  been  bequeathed  by  the  Cardinal 
.Richelieu  to  the  young  king.  But  it  was  sug- 
gested that  it  was  not  decorous  that  the  king 
should  inhabit  a  mansion  which  bore  the  name 
of  the  residence  of  a  subject.  Therefore  the 
inscription  of  Cardinal  Palace  was  effaced 


30  Louis  XIV.  [1643. 

Palais  Royal.  Apartments  of  the  queen  regent. 

from  above  the  doorway,  and  that  of  Palais 
Royal  placed  in  its  stead.  The  palace  had 
cost  the  cardinal  a  sum  nearly  equal  to  a  mil- 
lion of  dollars.  This  ungrateful  disregard  of 
the  memory  of  the  cardinal  greatly  displeased 
his  surviving  friends,  and  called  forth  earnest 
remonstrance.  But  all  expostulations  were  in 
vain.  From  that  day  to  this  the  renowned 
mansion  has  been  known  only  as  the  "  Palais 
Royal."  The  opposite  engraving  shows  the 
palace  as  left  by  the  cardinal.  Since  his  day 
the  building  has  been  greatly  enlarged  by  ex- 
tending the  wings  for  shops  around  the  whole 
inclosure  of  the  garden. 

Louis  XIV.  was  at  this  time  five  years  old. 
The  apartments  which  had  been  occupied  by 
Richelieu  were  assigned  to  the  dauphin.  His 
mother,  the  queen  regent,  selected  for  herself 
rooms  far  more  spacious  and  elegant.  Though 
they  were  furnished  and  embellished  with  ap- 
parently every  appliance  of  luxury,  Anne,  fond 
of  power  and  display,  expended  enormous  sums 
in  adapting  them  to  her  taste.  The  cabinet  of 
the  regent,  in  the  gorgeousness  of  its  adorn- 
ments, was  considered  the  wonder  of  Paris. 

Cardinal  Mazarin  had  also  a  suite  of  rooms 
assigned  him  in  the  palace  which  looked  out 


1643.]      BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  33 

Educational  arrangements  for  Louis  XIV. 

upon  the  Rue  des  bons  Enfans.  These  house- 
holds were  quite  distinct,  and  they  were  all 
surrounded  with  much  of  the  pageantry  of 
royalty.  The  superintendence  of  the  educa- 
tion of  the  young  prince  was  intrusted  to  the 
cardinal.  He  had  also  his  governor,  his  sub- 
governor,  his  preceptor,  and  his  valet  de  cham- 
bre,  each  of  whom  must  have  occupied  posts  of 
honor  rather  than  of  responsibility.  The  Mar- 
chioness de  Senecey,  and  other  ladies  of  high 
rank,  were  intrusted  with  the  special  care  of 
the  dauphin  until  he  should  attain  the  age  of 
seven  years. 

Thus  the  court  of  the  baby-king  was  quite 
imposing.  From  his  earliest  years  he  was  ac- 
customed to  the  profoundest  homage,  and  was 
trained  to  the  most  rigid  rules  of  etiquette. 
The  dauphin  early  developed  a  fondness  for 
military  exercises.  Yery  eagerly  he  shoulder- 
ed the  musket,  brandished  the  sword,  and  beat 
the  drum.  The  temperament  of  his  brother 
Philip, the  duke  of  Anjou,  was  very  different: 
he  was  remarkably  gentle,  quiet,  and  affection- 
ate. Gradually  the  baby-court  of  the  dauphin 
was  increased  by  the  addition  of  other  lads. 
The  young  king  was  the  central  lum'nary 
around  whom  they  all  revolved.  By  them  all 
1—3 


34  Louis  XIV.  [1643. 

Speech  of  Louis  at  five  years  old. 

the  dauphin  was  regarded  with  a  certain  kind 
of  awe,  as  if  he  were  a  being  of  a  superior,  al- 
most of  a  celestial  race.  These  lads  were 
termed  "  children  of  honor."  They  always 
addressed  the  king,  and  were  addressed  in  re- 
turn, with  the  formality  of  full-grown  men. 
One  day  a  little  fellow  named  Lomenie  de- 
lighted the  king  with  a  gift.  The  king  was 
amusing  himself  with  a  cross-bow,  which  for 
the  time  being  happened  to  be  in  special  favor. 
He  loaned  the  bow  for  a  few  moments  to  Lo- 
menie. Soon,  however,  anxious  to  regain  the 
valued  plaything,  he  held  out  his  hand  to  take 
it  back.  His  governess,  the  Marchioness  de 
Senecey,  said  to  him,  aside, 

"  Sire,  kings  give  what  they  lend." 
Louis,  immediately  approaching  his  compan- 
ion, said,  calmly,  "  Monsieur  de  Lomenie,  keep 
the  cross-bow.  I  wish  that  it  were  something 
of  more  importance  ;  but,  such  as  it  is,  I  give 
it  to  you  with  all  my  heart." 

This  was  a  speech  of  a  boy  of  five  years  old 
to  a  companion  of  the  same  age.  When  the 
dauphin  reached  his  seventh  birthday,  a  great 
change  took  place  in  his  household.  All  his 
female  attendants  were  withdrawn,  and  he  was 
placed  exclusively  under  the-  charge  of  men. 


1643.]     BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  35 

Dislikes  the  change  of  teachers.  Interest  in  history. 

It  is  said  that  this  change  was  at  first  the  occa- 
sion of  much  grief  to  him.  He  had  become 
much  attached  to  many  of  the  ladies,  who  had 
devoted  themselves  to  the  promotion  of  his 
happiness.  We  are  told  that  he  was  greatly 
chagrined  to  find  that  none  of  the  gentlemen 
of  his  court  could  tell  him  any  of  those  beau- 
tiful fairy  tales  with  which  the  ladies  had  often 
lulled  him  to  sleep.  In  conference  with  the 
queen  upon  the  subject,  it  was  decided  that  M. 
Laporte,  his  first  valet  de  charnbre,  should  read 
to  him  every  night  a  chapter  of  a  very  popular 
history  of  France.  The  dauphin  soon  became 
greatly  interested  in  the  narrative.  lie  de- 
clared that  he,  when  he  grew  up,  would  be  a 
Charlemagne,  a  St.  Louis,  a  Francis  First,  and 
expressed  great  abhorrence  of  the  tyrannical 
and  slothful  kings. 

The  pleasure  which  the  little  king  took  in 
these  historical  readings  daily  increased.  Car- 
dinal Mazarin  accidentally  found  out  what  was 
going  on,  and  was  greatly  displeased.  He  was 
anxious  that  the  intellectual  powers  of  the  king 
should  not  be  developed,  for  the  cardinal  de- 
sired to  grasp  the  reins  of  government  with  his 
own  hands.  To  do  this,  it  was  necessary  that 
the  king  should  be  kept  ignorant,  and  should 
be  incited  only  to  enervating  indulgence. 


36  Louis  XIV.  [1643. 

Mazarin's  wicked  policy.  Henrietta,  queen  of  Charles  I 

Scornfully  the  cardinal  remarked,  "  I  pre- 
sume the  governor  of  the  king  must  put  on  his 
shoes  and  stockings,  as  I  perceive  his  valet  de 
chambre  is  teaching  him  history." 

The  young  king  entertained  an  instinctive 
aversion  to  the  proud  cardinal,  who  assumed 
imperial  airs,  and  who  was  living  in  splendor 
far  surpassing  that  of  the  regent  or  of  the  child- 
king.  Those  who  surrounded  the  prince  were 
equally  inimical  to  the  cardinal-minister,  who, 
in  that  age  of  superstition  and  fanaticism,  had 
attained  such  power  that  the  regent  herself 
stood  in  awe  of  him. 

Henrietta,  queen  of  England,  wife  of  the  un- 
fortunate Charles  I.,  was  a  daughter  of  Henry 
IY.,  and  sister  of  Louis  XIII.  She  was  con- 
sequently aunt  to  the  dauphin.  The  troubles 
in  England,  which  soon  led  to  the  beheading 
of  the  king  her  husband,  rendered  it  necessary 
for  her  to  escape  to  France.  Her  brother, 
Monsieur,  duke  of  Orleans,  went  to  the  coast  to 
receive  his  unhappy  and  royal  sister.  As  they 
approached  Paris,  the  queen  regent  and  her  son 
the 'king  rode  out  to  meet  them.  Henrietta 
took  a  seat  in  the  same  carriage  with  their 
majesties,  and  returned  with  them  to  the  Lou- 
vre. The  pallid  cheeks  and  saddened  features 


1646.]     BIKTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  37 


Figure  and  bearing  of  the  king. 


of  the  English  queen  proclaimed  so  loudly  the 
woes  with  which  she  was  stricken  as  to  exert 
universal  sympathy. 

The  young  king  at  seven  years  of  age  was 
tall,  muscular,  and  excelled  in  all  physical  ex- 
ercises ;  but  the  villainous  cardinal  had  en- 
deavored in  every  way  to  dwarf  his  intellect, 
so  that  his  mind  remained  almost  a  blank. 
Both  the  young  king  and  his  brother  at  this 
early  age  had  acquired  a  very  remarkable  de- 
gree of  courtly  grace.  A  chronicler  of  the 
times,  speaking  of  the  bearing  of  Louis  at  a 
court  wedding,  says, 

"The  king,  with  the  gracefulness  which 
shines  in  all  his  actions,  took  the  hand  of  the 
Queen  of  Poland,  and  conducted  her  to  the 
platform,  where  his  majesty  opened  the  dance, 
and  was  followed  by  nearly  all  the  princes, 
princesses,  great  nobles,  and  ladies  of  the  court. 
At  its  termination,  the  king,  with  the  same 
grace  and  majestic  deportment,  conducted  the 
young  queen  to  her  place.  The  king  then 
danced  a  second  time,  and  led  out  the  Duke 
of  Anjou  with  such  skill  that  every  one  was 
charmed  with  the  polite  bearing  of  these  two 
young  princes." 

Early  in  the  year  1646,  the  king,  not  yet 


38  Louis  XIV.  [1646. 

His  first  campaign.  The  cardinal's  nieces. 

quite  eight  years  old,  was  conducted  upon  what 
was  singularly  called  his  first  campaign.  The 
queen  and  her  son  repaired  to  Amiens,  where 
they  sojourned  for  a  short  time  with  the  army, 
and  established  a  very  brilliant  court.  When 
the  army  left  Amiens  for  Flanders,  the  regent 
and  her  son  returned  from  their  campaign. 

The  infant  court  of  the  monarch  was  now 
established  at  Paris.  The  ambitious  cardinal 
had  brought  from  Italy  several  little  children, 
his  relatives,  the  eldest  of  whom  had  attained 
but  her  twelfth  year.  They  were  immediately 
introduced  to  the  court  of  Louis  XIV.  The 
wealth  of  the  cardinal  was  such,  and  his  influ- 
ence so  great,  that,  young  as  these  his  nieces 
were,  they  were  instantly  surrounded  by  ad- 
mirers. The  Duke  of  Orleans,  who  hated  the 
cardinal  and  all  that  belonged  to  him,  bitterly 
remarked, 

"  There  is  such  a  throng  about  those  little 
girls  that  I  doubt  if  their  lives  are  safe,  and 
if  they  will  not  be  suffocated." 

The  boy-king,  however,  notwithstanding  his 
dislike  for  the  cardinal,  received  the  little  girls 
with  that  gallantry  for  which  throughout  life 
he  was  distinguished. 

Very  early  he  began  to  develop  quite  a  pos- 


1646.]     BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  39 

Anecdote.  Feud  between  Mazarin  and  the  Parliament. 

itive  character.  On  one  occasion  the  courtiers 
were  speaking  in  his  presence  of  the  absolute 
power  exercised  by  the  sultans  of  Turkey. 
Several  very  striking  examples  were  given. 
The  young  prince,  who  had  listened  attentive- 
ly, remarked, 

"  That  is  as  it  should  be  ;  that  is  really  reign- 
ing." 

"  Yes,  sire,"  pertinently  replied  Marshal  d'Es- 
trees,  "  but  two  or  three  of  those  sultans  have, 
within  my  memory,  been  strangled." 

The  Prince  de  Conde  inquired  of  Laporte, 
the  first  valet  of  the  king,  respecting  the  char- 
acter his  young  majesty  was  developing.  Upon 
being  told  that  he  was  conscientious  and  intel- 
ligent, he  replied, "  So  much  the  better.  There 
would  be  no  pleasure  in  obeying  a  fool,  and 
no  honor  in  being  commanded  by  a  bad  man." 

Cardinal  Mazarin,  the  prime  minister,  who 
looked  with  jealousy  upon  any  development  of 
superior  intelligence  in  the  dauphin,  said  to 
Marshal  de  Grammont,  "  Ah !  sir,  you  do  not 
know  his  majesty.  There  is  enough  stuff  in 
him  to  make  four  kings  and  an  honest  man." 

There  had  gradually  sprung  up  a  deadly 
feud  between  the  court,  headed  by  the  tyran- 
nical minister  Mazarin  on  the  one  side,  and  b^ 


40  Louis  JCI V.  [1648. 

Alarm  of  Mazarin. 

the  Parliament  on  the  other.  The  populace 
of  Paris  were  in  sympathy  with  the  Parlia- 
ment. Many  of  the  prominent  nobles,  some 
even  of  royal  blood,  detesting  the  haughty 
prime  minister,  espoused  the  Parliamentary 
cause.  There  were  riots  in  Paris.  Affairs 
looked  very  threatening.  Mazarin  was  alarm- 
ed, and  decided  to  escape  from  Paris  with  the 
court  to  the  palace  of  St.  Germain.  There  he 
could  protect  the  court  with  an  ample  military 
force.  He  thought,  also,  that  he  should  be  able 
to  cut  off  the  supply  of  provisions  from  the 
capital,  and  thus  starve  the  city  into  subjection. 

It  was  necessary  to  move  with  much  caution, 
as  the  people  were  greatly  agitated,  were  fill- 
ing the  streets  with  surging  crowds,  and  would 
certainly  prevent  the  removal  of  the  king 
should  they  suspect  the  design.  The  night  of 
the  5th  of  January  was  selected  as  a  time  in 
which  to  attempt  the  escape.  The  matter  was 
kept  profoundly  secret  from  most  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  royal  household. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  a  carriage 
was  drawn  up  in  the  gate  of  the  royal  garden. 
The  queen  regent,  who,  to  avoid  suspicion,  had 
retired  to  bed  at  the  usual  hour,  had  in  the 
mean  time  risen  and  was  prepared  for  her 


1648.]     BIBTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  41 

Escape  of  the  royal  family  from  Paris.  Flight  of  the  court. 

flight.  The  young  king  and  his  brother  were 
awoke  from  their  sleep,  hurriedly  dressed,  and 
conveyed  to  the  carriage  in  waiting.  The 
queen  regent,  with  several  other  prominent 
members  of  the  court,  descended  the  back 
stairs  which  led  from  the  queen's  apartment 
and  joined  the  children.  Immediately  one  or 
two  other  carriages  drove  up,  and  the  whole 
party  entered  them,  and  by  different  routes, 
through  the  dark  and  narrow  streets,  left  the 
city.  It  was  a  short  ride  of  about  twelve 
miles. 

Other  prominent  members  of  the  court,  re- 
siding in  different  parts  of  the  city,  had  been 
apprised  of  the  movement,  so  that  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning  twenty  carriages,  con- 
taining one  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  drove 
into  the  court-yard  of  the  palace.  One  of  the 
ladies  who  accompanied  the  expedition,  Mad- 
emoiselle Montpensier,  gives  the  following 
graphic  description  of  the  scene : 

"When  we  arrived  at  St.  Germain  we  went 
straight  to  the  chapel  to  hear  mass.  All  the 
rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in  questioning  those 
who  arrived  as  to  what  they  were  doing  in 
Paris.  The  drums  were  beating  all  over  the 
city,  and  the  citizens  had  taken  up  arms.  The 


42  Louis  XIV.  [1648. 

Discomfort  of  the  court  at  St.  Germain. 

Countess  de  Fiesque  sent  me  a  coach,  and  a 
mattress,  and  a  little  linen.  As  I  was  in  so 
sorry  a  condition,  I  went  to  seek  help  at  the 
Chateau  Neuf,  where  Monsieur  and  Madame 
were  lodged  ;  but  Madame  had  not  her  clothes 
any  more  than  myself.  Nothing  could  be 
more  laughable  than  this  disorder.  I  lodged 
in  a  large  room,  well  painted  and  gilded,  with 
but  little  fire,  which  is  not  agreeable  in  the 
month  of  January.  My  mattress  was  laid 
upon  the  floor,  and  my  sister,  who  had  no  bed, 
slept  with  me.  Judge  it  I  were  agreeably  sit- 
uated for  a  person  who  had  slept  but  little  the 
previous  night,  with  sore  throat  and  violent 
cold. 

"  Fortunately  for  me,  the  beds  of  Monsieur 
and  Madame  arrived.  Monsieur  had  the  kind- 
ness to  give  me  the  room  which  he  vacated. 
As  1  was  in  the  apartment  of  Monsieur,  where 
no  one  knew  that  I  was  lodged,  1  was  awoke 
by  a  noise.  I  drew  back  my  curtain,  and  was 
much  astonished  to  find  my  chamber  quite 
filled  by  men  in  large  buff  skin  collars,  who  ap- 
peared surprised  to  see  me,  and  who  knew  me 
as  little  as  I  knew  them. 

"  I  had  no  change  of  linen,  and  my  day  che- 
onse  was  washed  during  the  night.  I  had  no 


1648.J     BIKTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  43 


Excitement  in  Paris. 


women  to  arrange  ray  hair  and  dress  me,  which 
is  very  inconvenient.  I  ate  with  Monsieur, 
who  keeps  a  very  bad  table.  Still  I  did  not 
lose  my  gayety,  and  Monsieur  was  in  admira- 
tion at  my  making  no  complaint.  It  is  true  I 
am  a  creature  who  can  make  the  best  of  every 
thing,  and  am  greatly  above  trifles.  I  remain- 
ed in  this  state  ten  days,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  my  equipage  arrived,  and  I  was  very  glad 
to  have  all  my  comforts.  I  then  went  to  lodge 
in  the  chateau  Vieux,  where  the  queen  was  re- 
siding."* 

At  a  very  early  hour  in  the  morning  the 
news  was  circulated  through  the  streets  of 
Paris  that  the  court  had  fled  from  the  city, 
taking  with  it  the  young  king.  The  excite- 
ment was  terrible,  creating  universal  shouts 
and  tumults.  All  who  were  in  any  way  con-1 
nected  with  the  court  attempted  to  escape  in 
various  disguises  to  join  the  royal  party.  The 
populace,  on  the  other  hand,  closed  the  gates, 
and  barricaded  the  streets,  to  prevent  their 

*  There  were  at  that  time  two  palaces  at  St.  Germain. 
The  old  palace,  originally  built  by  Charles  V.,  and  in  the  al- 
teration of  which  Louis  XIV.  spent  over  a  million  of  dollars, 
still  remains.  The  new  palace,  constructed  by  Henry  IV. 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  other,  is  now  in  ruins. 


44  Louis  XIV.  [1648. 

Issue  of  a  parliamentary  decree. 

flight.  In  the  midst  of  this  confusion,  a  letter 
was  received  by  the  municipal  magistrates, 
over  the  signature  of  the  boy-king,  stating  that 
he  had  been  compelled  to  leave  the  capital  to 
prevent  the  seizure  of  his  person  by  the  Par- 
liament, and  urging  the  magistrates  ':c  Jo  ail 
in  their  power  for  the  preservation  of  order 
and  for  the  protection  of  property.  The  king 
also  ordered  the  Parliament  immediately  to 
retire  from  the  city  to  Montargis. 

The  Parliament  refused  to  recognize  the  or- 
der, declaring  "  that  it  did  not  emanate  from 
the  monarch  himself,  but  from  the  evil  coun- 
selors by  whom  he  was  held  in  captivity." 
Upon  the  reception  of  this  reply,  the  queen  re- 
gent, who  had  surrounded  her  palace  at  St. 
Germain  with  a  thousand  royal  troops,  acting 
under  the  guidance  of  Mazarin,  issued  a  decree 
forbidding  the  villages  around  Paris  sending 
into  the  capital  either  bread,  wine,  or  cattle. 
Troops  were  also  stationed  to  cut  off  such  sup- 
plies. This  attempt  to  subdue  the  people  by 
the  terrors  of  famine  excited  intense  exasper- 
ation. A  decree  was  promptly  issued  by  the 
Parliament  stating, 

"  Since  Cardinal  Mazarin  is  notoriously  the 
author  of  the  present  troubles,  the  Parliament 


1648.]     BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD  45 

Origin  of  the  names  Fronde  and  Mazarins. 

declares  him  to  be  the  disturber  of  the  public 
peace,  the  enemy  of  the  king  and  the  state, 
and  orders  him  to  retire  from  the  court  in  the 
course  of  this  day,  and  in  eight  days  more  from 
the  kingdom.  Should  he  neglect  to  do  this,  at 
the  expiration  of  the  appointed  time  all  the 
subjects  of  the  king  are  called  upon  to  hunt 
him  down." 

At  the  same  time,  men-at-arms  were  levied 
in  sufficient  numbers  to  escort  safely  into  the 
city  all  those  who  would  bring  in  provisions. 
The  Parliament,  from  the  populace  of  Paris, 
could  bring  sixty  thousand  bayonets  upon  any 
field  of  battle.  Thus  very  serious  civil  war 
was  inaugurated. 

As  we  have  mentioned,  many  of  the  nobles, 
some  of  whom  were  allied  to  the  royal  family, 
assuming  that  they  were  not  contending  against 
their  legitimate  sovereign,  the  young  king,  but 
against  the  detested  Mazarin,  were  in  cordial 
co-operation  with  the  Parliament.  The  people 
in  the  rural  districts  were  also  in  sympathy 
with  the  party  in  Paris. 

The  court  party  was  now  called  "  The  Maz- 
arins"  and  those  of  the  Parliament  "The 
Fronde."  The  literal  meaning  of  the  word 
fronde  is  sling.  It  is  a  boy's  plaything,  and 


46  Louis  XIV.  [1648. 

Two  rival  courts.  Straw  scarce. 


when  skillfully  used,  an  important  weapon  of 
war.  It  was  with  the  sling  that  David  slew 
Goliath.  During  the  Middle  Ages  this  was  the 
usual  weapon  of  the  foot  soldiers.  Mazarin 
had  contemptuously  remarked  that  the  Parlia- 
ment were  like  school-boys,  fronding  in  the 
ditches,  and  who  ran  away  at  the  approach  of 
a  policeman.  The  Parliament  accepted  the 
title,  and  adopted  the  fronde  or  sling  as  the 
emblem  of  their  party. 

There  were  now  two  rival  courts  in  France. 
The  one  at  St.  Germain  was  in  a  state  of  great 
destitution.  The  palace  was  but  partially  fur- 
nished, and  not  at  all  capable  of  affording 
comfortable  accommodations  for  the  crowd 
which  thronged  its  apartments.  Nothing  could 
be  obtained  from  Paris.  Their  purses  were 
empty.  The  rural  population  was  hostile,  and, 
while  eager  to  carry  their  products  to  Paris, 
were  unwilling  to  bring  them  to  St.  Germain. 
Madame  de  Motteville  states  in  her  memoirs 
"  that  the  king,  queen,  and  cardinal  were  sleep- 
ing upon  straw,  which  soon  became  so  scarce 
that  it  conld  not  be  obtained  for  money." 

The  court  of  the  Fronde  was  assembled  at 
the  Hotel  de  Ville  in  Paris.  There  all  was 
splendor,  abundance,  festive  enjoyment.  The 


1650.]     BIKTH  AND  CHILDHOOD.  47 

Character  of  Mazarin.  Termination  of  the  war. 

high  rank  of  the  leaders  and  the  beauty  of  the 
ladies  gave  e*clat  to  the  gathering. 

Cardinal  Mazarin  was  not  only  extortionate, 
but  miserly.  lie  had  accumulated  an  enor- 
mous property.  All  this  was  seized  and  ap- 
propriated by  the  Fronde.  Though  there  were 
occasional  skirmishes  between  the  forces  of  the 
two  factions,  neither  of  them  seemed  disposed 
to  plunge  into  the  horrors  of  civil  war. 

The  king  sent  a  herald,  clad  in  complete  ar- 
mor and  accompanied  by  two  trumpeters,  to 
the  Parliament.  The  Fronde  refused  to  re- 
ceive the  herald,  but  decided  to  send  a  deputa- 
tion to  the  king  to  ascertain  what  overtures  he 
was  willing  to  make.  After  a  lengthy  confer- 
ence a  not  very  satisfactory  compromise  was 
agreed  upon,  and  the  royal  fugitives  returned 
to  Paris.  It  was  the  5th  of  April,  1650.  A 
Te  Deum  was  chanted  with  great  pomp  at  the 
cathedral  of  Xotre  Dame. 

"  Thus  terminated  the  iirst  act  of  the  most 
singular,  bootless,  and,  we  are  almost  tempted 
to  add,  burlesque  war  which,  in  all  probability, 
Europe  ever  witnessed.  Throughout  its  whole 
duration  society  appeared  to  have  been  smitten 
with  some  moral  hallucination.  Kings  and 
cardinals  slept  on  mattresses,  princesses  and 


48  Louis  XIV.  [1650. 

Society  reversed. 

duchesses  on  straw.  Market-women  embraced 
princes,  prelates  governed  armies,  court  ladies 
led  the  mob,  and  the  mob,  in  its  turn,  ruled  the 
city."* 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France,  vol.  i.,  p>  262. 


1650.]  THE  BOY-KING.  49 

M.  de  Retz.  Fears  of  Mazarin. 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  BOY-KING. 

THE  reconciliation  between  the  court  and 
the  Fronde  was  very  superficial.  The  old 
antagonism  soon  reappeared,  and  daily  grew 
more  rancorous.  To  add  to  the  embarrass- 
ment of  the  court,  Monsieur,  the  duke  of  Or- 
leans, became  alienated  from  Mazarin,  and 
seemed  inclined  to  join  the  Fronde.  The  niost 
formidable  antagonist  of  the  cardinal  in  the 
Parliament  was  M.  de  Retz.  He  was  coadju- 
tor of  the  Archbishop  of  Paris,  a  man  of  con- 
summate address  and  great  powers  of  elo- 
quence. 

The  struggle  between  De  Retz  and  Mazarin 
soon  became  one  of  life  and  death.  The  co- 
adjutor was  at  length  imboldened  to  offer  a 
decree  in  Parliament  urging  the  king  to  ban- 
ish from  his  presence  and  his  councils  Cardi- 
nal Mazarin.  This  measure  threw  the  court 
into  consternation.  The  cardinal  was  appre- 
hensive of  arrest.  Some  of  his  friends  urged 
him  to  retire  immediately  to  a  fortress.  Oth- 
1—  J 


50  Louis  XIV.  [1650. 

'  Escape  of  the  cardinal. 

ers  proposed  to  garrison  the  Palais  Royal  and 
its  neighborhood  with  an  efficient  guard. 

From  the  saloons  of  the  palace  the  shouts 
were  heard  of  the  excited  populace  swarming 
through  the  streets.  No  one  could  tell  to  what 
extremes  of  violence  they  might  proceed. 
Warned  by  these  hostile  demonstrations,  the 
cardinal  decided  to  escape  from  Paris.  At 
ten  o'clock  at  night  he  took  leave  of  the  queen 
regent,  hastened  to  his  apartments,  exchanged 
his  ecclesiastical  costume  for  a  dress  in  which 
he  was  entirely  disguised,  and  on  foot  thread- 
ed the  dark  streets  to  escape  from  the  city. 
Two  of  his  friends  accompanied  him.  At  the 
Richelieu  Gate  they  took  horses,  which  were 
awaiting  them  there,  and  in  two  hours  alighted 
at  the  palace  of  St.  Germain. 

M.  de  Retz,  through  his  spies,  was  immedi- 
ately informed  of  the  flight  of  the  cardinal. 
He  at  once  hastened  to  communicate  the  in- 
telligence to  Monsieur.  The  duke  at  first 
could  not  credit  the  t  statement,  as  he  felt  as- 
sured that  Mazarin  would  not  have  left  with' 
out  taking  the  young  king  with  him.  Should 
the  cardinal,  in  his  retreat,  gain  possession  of 
the  king,  in  whose  name  he  would  issue  all  hia 
orders,  it  would  be  hardly  possible  to  avoid  the 


1650.]  THE  BOY-KING.  51 


Dangers  of  civil  war.  Alarm  and  energy  of  De  Retz. 

horrors  of  a  desolating  civil  war.  All  minds 
in  Paris,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  were 
thrown  into  a  state  of  the  most  intense  excite- 
ment. 

On  the  night  of  the  second  day  after  the 
cardinal's  flight,  M.  de  Retz  was  awakened  by 
a  messenger,  who  informed  him  that  the  Duke 
of  Orleans  was  anxious  to  see  him  immediate- 
ly at  the  palace  of  the  Luxembourg.  The  co- 
adjutor rose,  hastily  dressed,  and  in  great  anx- 
iety repaired  to  the  palace.  The  duke,  though 
lieutenant  general  of  the  kingdom,  was  a  very 
timid  man,  and  exceedingly  inefficient  in  ac- 
tion. As  they  entered  the  chamber  of  the 
duke,  he  listlessly  said  to  M.  de  Retz, 

"It  is  just  as  you  said.  The  king  is  about 
to  leave  Paris ;  what  shall  we  do  ?  I  do  not 
see  what  can  be  done  to  pre\^nt  it." 

The  resolute  coadjutor  replied,  "We  must 
immediately  take  possession  of  the  city  gates." 

But  the  inert  and  weak  duke  brought  for- 
ward sundry  silly  excuses.  He  had  not  suffi- 
cient force  of  character  or  moral  courage  to 
commit  himself  to  any  decisive  course  of  ac- 
tion. The  only  measure  he  could  be  induced 
to  adopt  was  to  send  a  message  to  the  queen 
regent,  imploring  her  to  reflect  upon  the  con- 


52 

The  populace  aroused. 


Louis  XIV. 


[1650. 


Palace  of  the  Luxembourg. 


sequences  which  would  inevitably  result  from 
the  removal  of  the  king  from  Paris.  In  the 
mean  time,  the  resolute  and  fearless  coadjutor 
sent  his  emissaries  in  all  directions.  The  pop- 
ulace were  aroused  with  the  cry  that  Mazarin 
was  about  to  carry  off  the  king.  The  gates  of 


PALACE  OF   THE   LUXEMBOURG. 


the  city  were  seized.  Mounted  patrols  trav- 
ersed the  streets  urging  the  citizens  to  arms. 
An  enormous  crowd  of  excited  men  and  wom- 
en rushed  toward  the  Palais  Ro}*al. 

The  carriages  were,  in  fact,  at  that  hour,  at 
the  appointed  rendezvous  for  the  midnight 
flight  of  the  king  and  his  attendants.  The 
young  monarch  was  already  in  his  traveling 


1650.]  THE  BOY-KING.  53 

Discovery  of  the  attempted  flight  of  the  royal  family. 

dress,  just  about  to  descend  the  stairs  of  the 
palace,  when  the  queen  was  apprised,  by  the 
tumult  in  the  streets,  that  the  design  was  dis- 
covered, arid  that  consequently  its  execution 
was  impracticable. 

With  the  utmost  precipitancy,  the  traveling 
dress  of  the  king  was  removed,  and  he  was 
robed  in  his  night  garments,  replaced  in  bed, 
and  urged  to  feign  that  he  was  asleep.  Scarce- 
ly was  this  accomplished  ere  one  of  the  officers 
of  the  household  entered  and  announced  to  the 
queen  that  the  exasperated  mob  was  threaten- 
ing the  palace,  insisting  upon  seeing  the  king, 
that  they  might  satisfy  themselves  that  he  had 
not  been  carried  away.  While  he  was  speak- 
ing, another  messenger  entered  with  the  an- 
nouncement that  the  mob  had  already  proceed- 
ed to  violence,  and  were  tearing  down  the  pal- 
isades of  the  palace.  While  he  was  yet  speak- 
ing, a  messenger  from  the  Duke  of  Orleans  ar- 
rived, imploring  the  queen  regent  not  to  at- 
tempt the  removal  of  the  king,  and  assuring 
her  that  it  was  impossible  to  do  so,  since  the 
citizens  were  resolved  to  prevent  it. 

The  queen,  with  dignity,  listened  to  all.  To 
the  messenger  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans  she 
haughtily  replied, 


54  Louis  XIV.  [1650. 

Haughty  reply  of  Anue  of  Austria.     Courage  of  the  queen  mother. 

"  Say  to  the  duke  that  he,  instigated  by  the 
coadjutor,  has  caused  this  tumult,  and  that  he 
has  power  to  allay  it.  That  nothing  can  be 
more  unfounded  than  the  idea  that  there  has 
been  any  design  to  remove  the  king.  That 
both  his  majesty  and  his  brother,  the  Duke  of 
Anjou,  are  asleep  in  their  beds,  as  I  myself  had 
been  until  the  uproar  in  the  streets  had  caused 
me  to  rise."  To  satisfy  the  messenger,  M.  de 
Souches,  she  led  him  into  the  chamber  of  the 
king,  and  showed  him  his  majesty  apparently 
soundly  asleep. 

As  they  were  softly  retiring  from  the  room, 
the  outcry  of  the  populace  filling  the  court- 
yard was  heard  shouting  "  The  king !  the 
king !  we  must  see  the  king."  The  queen  re- 
gent hesitated  for  a  moment,  and  then,  with 
wonderful  presence  of  mind,  and  with  moral 
and  physical  courage  rarely  equaled,  turning 
to  the  envoy  of  Monsieur,  said, 

"Say  to  the  people  that  the  doors  of  the 
palace  shall  be  immediately  thrown  open,  and 
that  every  one  who  wishes  may  enter  the 
chamber  of  the  king.  But  inform  them  that 
his  majesty  is  asleep,  and  request  them  to  be 
as  quiet  as  is  possible." 

M.  Souches  obeyed.     The  doors  were  open 


1650.]  THE  Boy-KiNG.  55 

Respectful  conduct  of  the  popnlace. 

ed.  The  mob  rushed  in.  Nevertheless,  con- 
trary to  all  expectation,  they  had  no  sooner 
reached  the  royal  apartment  than  their  leaders, 
remembering  that  their  king  was  sleeping,  de- 
sired the  untimely  visitors  to  proceed  in  per- 
fect quiet.  As  the  human  tide  moved  onward, 
their  very  breathing  was  suppressed.  They 
trod  the  floor  with  softest  footsteps.  The 
same  tumultuous  multitude  that  had  howled, 
and  yelled,  and  threatened  outside  the  gates, 
now,  in  the  chamber  of  the  sovereign,  became 
calm,  respectful,  and  silent.  They  approached 
the  royal  bed  with  a  feeling  of  affectionate 
deference,  which  restrained  every  intruder 
from  drawing  back  the  curtains. 

The  queen  herself  performed  this  office. 
She  stood  at  the  pillow  of  her  son,  beautiful  in 
features,  of  queenly  grace  in  form  and  stature. 
Pale,  calm,  and  dignified  as  though  she  were 
performing  some  ordinary  court  ceremonial, 
she  gathered  back  the  folds  of  the  velvet  dra- 
pery, and  revealed  to  the  gaze  of  the  people 
their  young  sovereign  in  all  the  beauty  of 
youth,  and  apparently  in  profound  slumber. 

This  living  stream  of  men  and  women  from 
the  streets  of  Paris  continued  to  flow  through 
the  chamber  until  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 


56  Louis  XIV.  [1650. 

Fortitude  of  the  regent.  The  queen  regent  dissembles. 

ing,  entering  at  one  door  and  passing  out  at  its 
opposite.  Through  this  trying  scene  the  queen 
never  faltered. 

"  Like  a  marble  statue,"  writes  Miss  Pardoe, 
"  she  retained  her  position,  firm  and  motionless, 
her  majestic  figure  drawn  haughtily  to  its  full 
height,  and  her  magnificent  arm  resting  in 
broad  relief  upon  the  crimson  draperies.  And 
still  the  boy-king,  emulating  the  example  of 
his  royal  parent,  remained  immobile,  with 
closed  eyes  and  steady  breathing,  as  though 
his  rest  had  remained  unbroken  by  the  incur- 
sion of  his  rebellious  subjects.  It  was  a  sin- 
gular and  marked  passage  in  the  life  of  botk 
mother  and  son."* 

In  those  days  and  at  that  court  falsehood 
was  deemed  an  indispensable  part  of  diploma- 
cy. In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  in 
which  the  scene  we  have  described  occurred, 
the  queen  assembled  in  her  saloon  in  the  pal- 
ace the  prominent  magistrates  of  the  city. 
With  firm  voice  and  undaunted  eye,  she  as- 
sured them  that  she  had  never  entertained  the 
slightest  idea  of  removing  his  majesty  from 
the  city.  She  enjoined  it  upon  them  vigilant- 
ly to  continue  to  guard  the  gates,  that  the  pop 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France,  vol.  i.,  page  351. 


1650.]  THE  BOY-KING.  57 


Vigilance  of  Monsieur. 


nlace  might  be  convinced  that  no  design  of 
escape  was  cherished.  Her  words  were  not 
believed;  her  directions  were  obeyed.  The 
gates  were  rigidly  closed.  Thus  the  king  waa 
a  prisoner. 

The  apprehensions  of  the  Fronde,  that  by 
some  stratagem  the  king  might  be  removed, 
were  so  great  that  Monsieur  dispatched  a  gen- 
tleman of  his  household  every  night  to  ascer- 
tain if  the  king  were  quietly  in  his  bed.  The 
messenger,  M.  Desbuches,  carried  a  nightly 
greeting  to  the  queen,  with  orders  not  to  leave 
the  Palais  Royal  without  seeing  the  young 
sovereign.  The  excuse  for  this  intrusion  was, 
that  Monsieur  could  not,  without  this  evidence, 
satisfy  the  excited  citizens  that  the  king  was 
safe.  This  was  a  terrible  humiliation  to  the 
queen  regent. 

Cardinal  Mazarin,  having  passed  the  night 
at  St.  Germain,  commenced  traveling  by  slow 
stages  toward  Havre.  He  was  expecting  every 
hour  to  be  joined  by  the  queen  regent  and 
other  members*  of  the  royal  household.  He 
was,  however,  overtaken  by  a  courier,  who  an- 
nounced to  him  what  had  transpired  in  Paris, 
and  that  the  escape  of  the  royal  family  was 
impossible.  The  cardinal  thus  found  himself 


58  Louis  XIV. 


Cardinal  Mazariu  in  exile.  Majority  of  the  dauphin  attained. 

really  in  exile,  and  earnest  endeavors  were 
made  by  the  Fronde  to  induce  the  queen  re- 
gent to  secure  a  cardinal's  hat  for  M.  de  Retz, 
and  make  him  her  prime  minister.  The  last 
act  of  the  queen  regent  was  the  issuing  of  a 
decree  that  Mazarin  was  banished  forever  from 
the  kingdom. 

Such  was  the  posture  of  affairs  when,  on  the 
5th  of  September,  1651,  the  minority  of  the 
dauphin  ceased.  He  now  entered  upon  his 
fourteenth  year,  and,  immature  boy  as  he  was, 
was  declared  to  be  the  absolute  monarch  of 
France. 

It  was  immediately  announced  to  the  Par 
liament  by  the  grand  master  of  ceremonies 
that  on  the  seventh  day  of  the  month  the  king 
would  hold  his  bed  of  justice.  This  name  was 
given  to  the  throne  which  the  king  took  at  ex- 
traordinary meetings  of  Parliament.  The  bed, 
or  couch,  was  furnished  with  five  cushions,  and 
stood  under  a  gorgeous  canopy.  Upon  this 
couch  the  king  extended  himself,  leaning  upon 
the  cushions. 

The  ceremony  was  attended  with  all  the 
pomp  which  the  wealth  and  taste  of  the  em- 
pire could  create.  As,  in  the  morning,  the 
court  left  the  Palais  Royal,  a  band  of  trumpet 


1(551.]  THE  BOY- KING.  59 

Imposing  ceremony.  Appearance  of  Louis  XIV. 

ers  led  the  van,  causing  the  air  to  resound  with 
their  bugle  peals.  These  were  followed  by  a 
troop  of  light-horse,  succeeded  by  two  hundred 
of  the  highest  nobility  of  France,  splendidly 
mounted  and  in  dazzling  array.  But  it  is  vain 
to  attempt  to  describe  the  gorgeous  procession 
of  dignitaries,  mounted  on  tall  war-horses,  ca- 
parisoned with  housings  embroidered  with  sil- 
ver and  gold,  and  accompanied  by  numerous 
retainers.  The  attire  of  these  attendants,  from 
the  most  haughty  man  of  arms  to  the  humblest 
page,  was  as  varied,  picturesque,  and  glittering 
as  human  ingenuity  could  devise. 

The  young  king  himself  rode  upon  a  mag- 
nificent cream-colored  charger.  He  was  a 
beautiful  boy,  well  formed  'and  tall  for  his  age. 
Apparently  deeply  impressed  with  the  grand- 
eur of  the  occasion,  he  appeared  calm  and  dig- 
nified to  a  degree  which  attracted  the  admira- 
tion of  every  beholder.  As  he  sat  gracefully 
upon  his  horse,  he  appeared  almost  like  a  gold- 
en statue,  for  his  dress  was  so  elaborately  em., 
broidered  with  gold  that  neither  its  material 
or  its  color  could  be  distinguished.  His  high- 
mettled  charger  became  frightened  by  the 
shouts  of  "  Long  live  the  king"  which  burst  so 
enthusiastically  from,  the  lips  of  the  crowd. 


60  Louis  XIV.  [1651. 

Address  of  Louie.  Address  of  the  queen  regent. 

But  Louis  managed  the  animal  with  so  much 
skill  and  self-possession  as  to  increase  the  ad- 
miration with  which  all  seemed  to  regard  him. 
After  attending  mass,  the  young  monarch  took 
his  seat  in  the  Parliament.  Here  the  boy  of 
thirteen,  covering  his  head,  while  all  the  nota- 
bilities of  France  stood  before  him  with  heads 
uncovered,  repeated  the  following  words : 

"  GENTLEMEN, — I  have  attended  my  Parlia- 
ment in  order  to  inform  you  that,  according 
to  the  law  of  my  kingdom,  I  shall  myself  as- 
sume its  government.  I  trust  that,  by  the 
goodness  of  God,  it  will  be  with  piety  and  jus- 
tice. My  chancellor  will  inform  you  more 
particularly  of  my  intentions." 

The  chancellor  then  made  a  long  address. 
At  its  conclusion  the  queen  mother  rose  and 
said  to  her  son : 

"  SIKE, — This  is  the  ninth  year  in  which,  by 
the  last  will  of  the  deceased  king,  my  much 
honored  lord,  I  have  been  intrusted  with  the 
care  of  your  education  and  the  government  of 
the  state.  God  having  by  his  will  blessed  my 
endeavors,  and  preserved  your  person,  which 
is  so  precious  to  your  subjects,  now  that  the 
law  of  the  kingdom  calls  you  to  the  rule  of 
this  monarchy,  I  transfer  to  you.  with  preat 


1651.]  THE  BOY-KING.  61 

Reply  of  Louis.  Power  of  the  King  of  France. 

satisfaction,  the  power  which  had  been  granted 
me  to  govern.  I  trust  that  God  will  aid  you 
with  his  strength  and  wisdom,  that  your  reign 
may  be  prosperous." 

To  this  the  king  replied,  "  I  thank  you,  ma- 
dame,  for  the  care  which  it  has  pleased  you  to 
take  of  my  education  and  the  administration 
of  my  kingdom.  I  pray  you  to  continue  to 
me  your  good  advice,  and  desire  that,  after  my- 
self, you  should  be  the  head  of  my  council." 

The  mother  and  the  son  embraced  each  oth- 
er, and  then  resumed  their  conspicuous  seats 
on  the  platform.  The  king's  brother,  Philip, 
duke  of  Anjou,  next  rose,  and,  sinking  upon 
his  knee,  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  his  roy- 
al brother.  He  was  followed  in  this  act  by 
all  the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  notabilities.  The 
royal  procession  returned  to  the  gates  of  the 
Palais  Royal,  greeted  apparently  by  the  unani- 
mous acclamatio/is  of  the  people. 

Thus  a  stripling,  who  had  just  completed  his 
thirteenth  year,  was  accepted  by  the  nobles 
and  by  the  populace  as  the  absolute  and  mi- 
trammeled  sovereign  of  France.  He  held  in 
his  hands  virtually,  unrestrained  by  constitu- 
tion or  court,  their  liberties,  their  fortunes,  and 
their  lives.  It  is  often  said  that  every  nation 


62  Louis  XIV.  [1651. 

Gallantry  of  Louis. 

has  as  good  a  government  as  it  deserves.  In 
republican  America,  it  seems  incredible  that  a 
nation  of  twenty  millions  of  people  could  have 
been  guilty  of  the  folly  of  surrendering  them- 
selves to  the  sway  of  a  pert,  weak,  immature 
boy  of  thirteen  years. 

The  young  king,  in  those  early  years,  was 
celebrated  for  his  gallantry.  A  bevy  of  young 
beauties,  from  the  most  illustrious  families  in 
the  realm,  crowded  his  court.  The  matter  of 
the  marriage  of  the  king  was  deemed  of  very 
great  moment.  According  to  the  etiquette  of 
the  times,  it  was  thought  necessary  that  he 
should  marry  a  lady  of  royal  blood.  It  would 
have  been  esteemed  a  degradation  for  him  to 
select  the  daughter  of  the  highest  noble,  unless 
that  noble  were  of  the  royal  family.  But  these 
pretty  girls  were  not  unconscious  of  the  power 
of  their  charms.  The  haughty  Anne  of  Aus- 
tria was  constantly  harassed  by  the  flirtations 
in  whicli  the  young  king  was  continually  en- 
gaging with  these  lovely  maidens  of  the  court. 

Louis  by  nature,  and  still  more  by  education, 
was  egotistical,  haughty,  and  overbearing.  His 
brother  Philip,  on  the  contrary,  was  gentle,  re- 
tiring, and  effeminate.  The  young  king  wish- 
ed to  be  the  handsomest  man  of  his  court,  the 


1651.J  THE  BOY-&ING.  63 

Influence  of  Anne  and  Mazarin  upon  Louis. 

most  brilliant  in  wit,  and  the  most  fascinating 
in  the  graces  of  social  life.  He  was  very  jeal- 
ous of  any  one  of  his  companions  who  might 
be  regarded  as  his  rival  in  personal  beauty,  or 
in  any  intellectual  or  courtly  accomplishment. 
His  mother  encouraged  this  feeling.  She  de- 
sired that  her  son  should  stand  in  his  court 
without  a  peer. 

Still  Anne  of  Austria,  in  conjunction  with 
Cardinal  Mazarin,  had  done  what  she  could  to 
check  the  intellectual  growth  of  her  son. 
Wishing  to  retain  power  as  long  as  possible, 
they  had  manifested  no  disposition  to  with- 
draw young  Louis  from  the  frivolities  of  child- 
hood. His  education  had  been  grossly  neglect 
ed.  Though  entirely  familiar  with  the  routine 
of  his  devotional  exercises,  and  all  the  punctil- 
ios of  court  etiquette,  he  was  in  mental  culture 
and  general  intelligence  far  below  ordinary 
Bchool-boys  of  his  age. 

Though  the  king  was  nominally  the  absolute 
ruler  of  France,  still  there  were  outside  influ- 
ences which  exerted  over  him  a  great  control. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  independent  power. 
All  are  creatures  of  circumstances.  There 
were  two  antagonistic  forces  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  young  kino:.  Anne  of  Austria  for 


64  Louis  XIV.  [1651 

Conflict  between  the  court  and  Parliament. 

nine  years  had  been  regent.  With  the  aid  of 
her  prime  minister,  Cardinal  Mazarin,  she  had 
governed  the  realm.  This  power  could  not  at 
once  and  entirely  pass  from  their  hands  to  the 
ignorant  boy  who  was  dallying  with  the  little 
beauties  in  the  saloons  of  the  Palais  Royal. 
Though  Mazarin  was  in  exile — an  exile  to 
which  the  queen  regent  had  been  compelled  to 
assent — still  lie  retained  her  confidence,  and 
an  influence  over  her  mind. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  was  the  Parlia- 
ment, composed  mainly  of  proud,  haughty, 
powerful  nobles,  the  highest  dignitaries  of 
Church  and  State.  This  body  was  under  the 
leadership  of  the  coadjutor,  M.  de  Retz.  The 
antagonism  between  the  Parliament  and  the 
court  was  by  no  means  appeased.  The  great 
conflict  now  rose,  which  continued  through 
months  and  years,  between  them,  as  to  which 
should  obtain  the  control  of  the  king.  Im- 
pelled by  the  action  of  the  Parliament,  the 
king  had  applied  to  the  pope  for  a  cardinal's 
hat  to  be  conferred  upon  M.  de  Retz.  This 
dignity  attained  would  immeasurably  increase 
the  power  of  the  coadjutor. 

In  the  mean  time,  Cardinal  Mazarin,  who 
had  fled  to  Spain,  had  re-entered  France  with 


1652,]  THE  BoY-KiNG.  65 


Mazarin  arrives  in  France. 


an  an i  iv  <f  six  thousand  men.  Paris  was 
thrown  into  a  state  of  great  agitation.  Par- 
liamei  t  was  immediately  assembled.  The  king 
sent  them  a  message  requesting  the  Parlia- 
ment not  to  regard  the  movements  of  the  car- 
dinal wit  fi  any  anxiety,  "  since  the  intentions 
oJ'his  eminence  were  well  known  by  the  court." 
This,oi  course,  increased  rather  than  diminish- 
ed the  fears  of  the  nobles.  Notwithstanding 
the  ]  Message  of  the  king,  a  decree  was  immedi- 
ately passed  declaring  the  cardinal  and  his  ad- 
herent? disturbers  of  the  public  peace.  The 
cardinal  wa*  outlawed.  A  sum  equal  to  thir- 
ty thousand  dollars,  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of 
aoiiia  property  of  the  cardinal,  was  offered  to 
any  one  who  should  deliver  him  either  dead 
or  alive.  Umntimidated,  Mazarin  continued 
his  march  toward  Paris,  arriving  at  Poictiers 
at  the  end  of  January,  one  month  after  having 
re-entered  France.  The  king,  the  queen  re- 
gent, and  the  whole  court  advanced  there  to 
meet  him.  They  received  him  with  the  great- 
est demonstrations  of  joy. 

When  the   news   reached  the  capital  that 
Mazarin  had  Ihus  triumphantly  returned,  Par- 
liament and  the  populace  were  thrown  into  a 
state  of  great  excitement.     The  Duke  of  Or- 
1—5 


66  .Louis  XIV.  [1652. 

Civil  war  inaugurated.  Mazarin's  array  defeated. 

leans  was  roused  as  never  before.  The  hostile 
demonstrations  in  Paris  became  so  alarming, 
that  the  royal  family  adopted  the  bold  resolve 
to  return  immediately  to  the  capital.  The 
king  commenced  his  march  at  the  head  of  the 
troops  of  the  cardinal.  When  he  reached 
Blois,  he  tarried  there  for  a  couple  of  days  to 
concentrate  his  forces.  Civil  war  was  now  in- 
augurated, though  on  rather  a  petty  scale,  be- 
tween the  hostile  forces  in  various  parts  of  the 
kingdom.  The  Prince  of  Conde  was  the  prom- 
inent leader  of  the  Parliamentary  troops. 

The  city  of  Blois  is  situated  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  River  Loire,  about  forty-five  miles 
below  the  city  of  Orleans,  which  is  also  on  the 
northern  side  of  the  same  stream.  At  Blois, 
the  court  learned  to  its  consternation  that  the 
Mazarin  army  had  been  attacked  at  Orleans 
by  the  Prince  de  Conde  and  utterly  routed, 
with  the  loss  of  many  prisoners,  nearly  three 
thousand  horses,  and  a  large  part  of  its  ord- 
nance stores.  The  royal  party,  which  was  at 
this  time  in  a  state  of  great  destitution,  was 
quite  overwhelmed  by  the  disaster.  The  queen 
ordered  all  the  equipages  and  baggage  to  be 
transported  to  the  south  side  of  the  Loire,  and 
the  bridge  to  be  broken  down.  At  midnight, 


1652.]  THE  BOY-KING.  67 

Depression  of  the  regent.  Monsieur. 

in  the  midst  of  a  scene  of  great  terror  and 
confusion,  this  movement  was  accomplished. 
As  the  morning  dawned,  the  carriages,  crowd- 
ed with  the  ladies  of  the  court,  were  seen  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  stream,  ready  for  flight. 
The  queen  was,  for  the  only  time  in  her  life, 
so  dejected  as  to  seem  utterly  in  despair.  She 
feared  that  the  triumph  of  the  Fronde  at  Or- 
leans would  induce  every  city  in  the  kingdom 
to  close  its  gates  against  the  court. 

The  royal  fugitives  retreated  to  Montereau. 
In  the  disorder  of  the  flight  they  were  exposed 
to  great  privation.  Even  the  young  king  lost 
several  of  his  best  horses.  Thence  they  pro- 
ceeded to  Corbeil,  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Seine,  about  twelve  leagues  from  Versailles. 
Here  a  scene  occurred  which  is  graphically 
described  by  M.  Laporte,  an  eye-witness,  who 
was  a  prominent  attendant  of  his  majesty. 

"  The  king,"  writes  Laporte,  "  insisted  that 
Monsieur*  should  sleep  in  his  room,  which 
was  so  small  that  but  one  person  could  pass  at 
a  time.  In  the  morning,  as  they  lay  awake, 

*  As  Louis  XIV.  was  now  king,  his  brother  Philip,  eleven 
years  of  age,  according  to  usage,  took  the  title  of  Monsieur. 
The  title  for  a  time  adhered  still  to  the  Duke  of  Orleans, 
Brother  of  Louis  XIII. 


68  Louis  XIV.  [1652. 

Ludicrous  quarrel  of  Louis  and  his  brother. 

the  king  inadvertently  spat  upon  the  bed  of 
Monsieur,  who  immediately  spat  upon  tho 
king's  bed  in  return.  Thereupon  Louis,  get- 
ting angry,  spat  in  his  brother's  face.  AVheu 
they  could  spit  no  longer,  they  proceeded  to 
drag  each  other's  sheets  upon  the  floor,  after 
which  they  prepared  to  fight.  During  this 
quarrel  I  did  what  I  could  to  restrain  the  king. 
As  I  could  not  succeed,  I  sent  for  M.  de  V'il  • 
leroi,  who  re-established  peace.  Monsieur  lost 
his  temper  sooner  than  the  king,  but  the  king 
was  much  more  difficult  to  appease." 

It  is  very  evident  that  aristocratic  titles,  and 
all  the  formalities  of  court  etiquette,  do  not 
change  the  nature  of  boyhood.  Though  one 
of  these  little  belligerents  bore  the  title  of 
Louis  XIV.,  king  of  France,  and  the  other  was 
called  Monsieur,  the  duke  of  Anjou,  they  were 
in  character  like  all  other  ungoverned  and  un- 
governable boys. 

The  court,  not  venturing  to  enter  Paris,  pur- 
sued its  way  by  a  circuitous  route  to  St. Ger- 
main, leaving  the  city  on  the  left.  Here  an 
additional  gloom  was  cast  over  their  spirits  by 
the  intelligence  of  very  decided  acts  of  hostil- 
ity manifested  against  them  by  the  inhabitants 
of  the  metropolis.  The  court  was  in  a  state 


1652.]  THE  BoY-KiNG.  69 

Embarrassment  of  the  court.  Conflict  at  Etampes. 

of  great  embarrassment,  without  any  money, 
and  without  possibility  of  obtaining  stores  from 
the  capital.  It  was  supposed  that  Cardinal 
Ma/arm,  noted  for  his  selfishness,  had  taken 
good  care  of  himself.  But  he  declared  that 
he  was  as  poor  as  the  meanest  soldier  in  the 
rank^. 

While  at  St.  Germain,  there  was  another  pet- 
ty conflict  between  the  Parliamentary  forces 
ami  those  of  the  court  in  the  vicinity  of 
Etumpes,  about  forty  miles  from  Versailles. 
Thj  .Fronde  was  routed  with  loss.  The  glad 
tidings  was  brought  by  a  courier  at  night  to  St. 
Geiinam.  The  news  was  too  good  to  be  kept 
till  morning.  M.Villeroi,  to  whom  it  was  at 
first  communicated,  hastened  to  the  chamber 
of  the  king  and  the  Duke  of  Anjou,  to  awake 
them  from  sleep  and  inform  them  of  the  vic- 
tory. They  both,Laporte  informs  us,  sprang 
from  their  beds,  and  rushed,  in  their  slippers, 
night  caps,  and  dressing-gowns,  to  the  chamber 
of  the  cardinal,  whom  they  awakened  with  the 
joyful  iidings.  He  hurried  in  his  turn  with 
them,  and  in  the  same  unsophisticated  costume, 
to  the  chamber  of  the  queen,  to  announce  the 
intelligence  to  her. 

The  destitution  of  Louis  XIV.  while  at  St. 


70  Louis  XIV.  [1652. 

Destitution  of  Louis  XIV.  Scenes  of  the  conflict  at  Etampes. 

Germain  was  such  "that  he  borrowed  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  francs  from  Moreau,  one  of  his 
valets,  for  some  replenishment  of  his  wardrobe. 
Subsequently  the  valet,  learning  that  the  king 
had  obtained  possession  of  one  hundred  louis 
d?or,  applied  for  payment  of  the  debt ;  but  the 
king  had  already  expended  the  coin. 

The  routed  troops  of  Conde  took  refuge 
within  the  walls  of  Etampes.  The  court,  in  its 
elation,  immediately  proceeded  from  St.  Ger- 
main to  the  scene  of  conflict,  to  take  part  in 
the  siege.  This  was  the  first  serious  campaign 
of  the  young  king.  As,  attended  by  his  suite, 
he  examined  the  works,  he  was  at  one  time 
under  fire,  and  several  bullets  passed  near  him. 
Still  young  as  he  was,  he  had  sufficient  regard 
for  his  reputation  and  control  over  himself  not 
to  manifest  the  slightest  fear. 

The  scenes  of  war  which  here  presented 
themselves  to  the  young  monarch  were  painful 
in  the  extreme.  He  was  every  where  sur- 
rounded by  sick  and  dying  soldiers.  But  he 
had  .no  money  with  which  to  relieve  their  mis- 
ery, and  when  finally  the  city  of  Etampes  was 
taken,  the  spectacle  of  starvation,  woe,  and 
death  was  more  awful  than  words  can  express. 

As  the  king  was  entering  the  city,  he  passed 


1652.]  THE  BOY-KING.  71 

Retreat  of  Conde.  Battle  at  St.  Antoine. 

a  group  lying  upon  the  ground,  consisting  or 
a  mother  and  three  children,  huddled  closely 
together.  The  mother  had  died  of  starvation. 
Two  of  the  skeleton  children  were  also  dead 
by  her  side,  and  the  third,  a  babe,  was  strain- 
ing at  the  exhausted  breast,  which  could  no 
longer  afford  it  any  nourishment. 

The  Prince  de  Conde  retreated  to  Paris  with 
about  three  thousand  men.  The  royal  troops, 
eight  thousand  in  number,  pursued.  Each  par- 
ty gathered  re-enforcements,  so  that  the  Prince 
de  Conde',  with  about  five  thousand  men,  held 
at  bay  the  royal  troops,  then  numbering  about 
ten  thousand.  The  citizens,  as  we  have  men- 
tioned, were  in  sympathy  with  the  Parliament. 
They  hated  Cardinal  Mazarin,  and  with  good 
reason  regarded  the  king  as  a  prisoner  in  his 
hands.  The  king  also  detested  Mazarin  per- 
sonally, while  the  force  of  circumstances  com- 
pelled him  to  regard  the  cardinal  as  the  advo- 
cate of  the  royal  cause. 

A  very  severe  battle  was  fought  between 
the  two  parties  in  the  Faubourg  St.  Antoine. 
The  ranks  of  the  Fronde,  shattered  by  over- 
powering numbers,  were,  in  a  disordered  re- 
treat, hotly  pursued  by  their  foes  under  Mar- 
shal Turenne.  The  carnage  was  dreadful. 


72  LOUIB  XIY.  [1652. 

Cardinal  Mazarin  forced  to  retire 

Suddenly  the  cannon  of  the  Bastile  flamed  out 
in  rapid  succession,  hurling  their  deadly  shot 
through  the  compact  masses  of  the  lloyaliste. 
They  recoiled  and  fled  in  coniusion.  Paris 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  Frondn.  Tho  popu- 
lace surged  through  the  streets,  shouting  "Long 
live  the  king !  Death  to  Mazarin !" 

The  cardinal,  taking  the  king;  with  him,  re- 
tired to  St.  Denis.  Turenne  le-collecled  his 
scattered  forces  at  Pontoise,  about  twenty  miles 
north  from  Versailles.  The  cardinal,  with  the 
king,  took  refuge  at  that  place  in  the  centre 
of  Turenne's  army.  Here  the  king  issued  an 
ordinance,  transferring  the  Pailiameut  from 
Paris  to  Pontoise ;  but  the  Parliament  replied 
"that  they  could  not  obey  the  roy.-il  command 
so  long  as  Cardinal  Mazarin,  whom  lliey  had 
outlawed,  remained  in  France."  Tiiey  also  is- 
sued an  ordinance  of  their  own,  forbidding  any 
member  of  the  Parliament  to  leave  Par  IP.  The 
king,  we  know  not  under  what  influences,  ac- 
quiesced in  both  of  these  decrees.  Y.Ir!s  led 
the  cardinal  immediately  to  tender  his  resigna- 
tion and  retire.  This  important  step  ('.hanged 
the  whole  aspect  of  affairs.  After  the  removal 
of  the  cardinal,  all  opposition  to  the  court  be- 
came rebellion  against  the  king,  to  whom  the 
Fronde  professed  entire  allegiance. 


[1652.  THE  BOY-KING.  75 

The  king  invited  to  return.     The  Duke  of  Orleans  retires  to  Blois. 

Parliament  immediately  issued  a  decree, 
thanking  the  king  for  banishing  the  cardinal, 
and  imploring  him  to  return  to  his  good  city 
of  Paris.  After  some  negotiation  the  king  ac- 
ceded to  their  wishes,  and  on  the  17th  of  Octo- 
ber arrived  at  St.  Germain.  Here  a  numerous 
civic  guard  and  deputation  hastened  to  greet 
him,  and  to  conduct  him  to  the  metropolis. 
On  the  20th  he  proceeded  to  Ruel,  where  he 
passed  the  night. 

The  king  decided  to  enter  the  city  at  the 
head  of  his  army.  In  order  to  render  the 
scene  more  imposing,  it  was  to  take  place  at 
night,  by  the  light  of  thousands  of  torches. 
The  spectacle  was  such  as  Paris  had  rarely 
witnessed.  The  fickle  people,  ever  ready  to 
vibrate  between  the  cry  of  hosanna  and  cruci- 
fy, pealed  forth  their  most  enthusiastic  rejoic- 
ings. The  triumphant  boy-king  took  posses- 
sion of  the  Tuileries.  Cardinal  de  Retz,  who 
had  now  gained  his  long-coveted  ecclesiastical 
distinction,  hastened  to  congratulate  the  king 
and  his  mother  upon  their  return  to  the  city, 
from  which  they  had  so  long  been  banished. 
The  Duke  of  Orleans,  chagrined  and  humilia- 
ted, retired  to  Blois. 

The  king  soon  held  what  was  called  a  bed 


76  Louis  XIT.  [1652. 

Doom  of  the  leaders  of  the  Fronde.      Respectful  refusal  of  De  Retz. 

of  justice,  in  which,  instead  of  granting  a  gen- 
eml  amnesty,  he  denounced  the  princes  Coi  ide 
and  Conti,  and  other  of  the  prominent  leaders 
of  the  Fronde,  as  traitors  to  their  king,  to  be 
punished  by  death.  These  doomed  ones  were 
nobles  of  high  rank,  vast  wealth,  with  thou- 
sands of  retainers.  Many  throughout  the  king- 
dom were  in  sympathy  with  them.  They 
\\ould  not  die  without  a  struggle.  Hence  the 
war,  which  had  hitherto  raged  between  JMaza- 
rin  and  the  Fronde,  was  renewed  between  the 
king  and  the  Fronde.  All  over  the  provinces 
the  hostile  forces  were  rallying  themselves  for 
the  conflict. 

It  was  necessary  that  the  Parliament  should 
register  this  decree  of  the  king.  It  did  so,  but 
Cardinal  de  Retz  refused  to  give  his  vote.  He 
very  respectfully  declared  to  the  king  thut  he, 
having  been  on  friendly  terms  and  in  co  oper- 
ation with  the  Prince  de  Conde,  it  would  be 
neither  courteous  nor  just  for  him  to  vote  his 
condemnation. 

This  enraged  both  the  king  and  his  mother. 
They  said  it  proved  that  he  was  in  sympathy 
with  their  enemies.  The  court  did  not  venture 
at  once  to  strike  down  one  so  formidable.  A 
mission  was  assigned  the  cardinal  at  Rome,  to 


1652.]  THE  BOY-KING.  77 


Orders  for  his  arreet 


)emove  him  from  the  country.  Be  refused  to 
uceept  it.  The  boy-king  was  growing  reckless, 
passionate,  self-willed.  He  began  to  feel  the 
]>ower  that  was  in  his  hand.  The  cardinal 
was  warned  of  his  danger.  He  smile- 1,  and 
said  "  that,  sustained  by  his  ecclesiastical  rank, 
be  had  nothing  to  fear." 

The  court  ,6sued  an  order  for  the  airest  of 
the  cardinal.  It  was  placed  in  the  hrnds  of 
Pj-adelle  for  execution.  But  the  king  v/as  told 
that  the  cardinal  would  never  suffer  himself 
to  be  arrested  without  resistance;  that,  to  se- 
cme  his  seizure,  it  might  be  necessary  to  tako 
his  life.  The  king  seized  a  pen  and  Arote  at 
the  bottom  of  the  order, 

u  I  have  commanded  Pradelle  o  ex  ;cute  tho 
present  order  on  the  person  of  Oe  J  ietz,  and 
even  to  arrest  him,  dead  or  alive,  in  -lie  event 
ol:  resistance  on  his  part.  Louis." 

It  was  deemed  very  important  to  arrest  tho 
cardinal,  if  possible,  without  exciting  a  popular 
tumult.  The  palace  of  the  cardinal  was  well 
guarded.  He  never  went  out  wrtl.out  a  nu- 
merous retinue.  Should  the  popu  ace  of  Paris 
see  him  endangered,  they  would  spring  to  his 
rescue. 

At  length  De  Retz  was  earnestly  invited  to 


78  Louis  XIV.  [1052 

Treachery  of  Anne  of  Austria.  Arrest  of  De  Retz. 

visit  the  queen  at  the  Louvre,  in  token  that  he 
was  not  hostile  to  the -court.  It  was  one  of  the 
most  dishonorable  of  stratagems.  The  cardi- 
nal was  caught  in  the  trap.  As  he  was  enter- 
ing the  antechamber  of  the  queen  upon  this 
visit  of  friendship,  all  unsuspicious  of  treach- 
ery, the  captain  of  the  guard,  who  had  been 
stationed  there  for  the  purpose  with  several 
gendarmes,  seized  him,  hurried  him  through 
the  great  gallery  of  the  Louvre,  and  down  the 
stairs  to  the  door.  Here  a  royal  carriage  was 
awaiting  him.  He  was  thurst  into  the  car- 
riage, and  five  or  six  officers  took  seats  by  his 
side.  To  guard  against  any  possibility  of  res- 
cue, a  numerous  military  escort  was  at  hand. 
The  horses  were  driven  rapidly  through  the 
streets,  and  out  through  the  Porte  St.  Antoine. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  cardinal  found  himself 
a  prisoner  at  the  castle  of  Vincennes.  The 
apartment  assigned  him  was  cold  and  dreary, 
without  furniture  and  without  a  bed.  Here 
the  prisoner  remained  a  fortnight,  in  the  mid- 
dle of  December,  with  no  fire. 

The  arrest  of  the  cardinal  created  a  great 
sensation  throughout  Paris.  But  the  chateau 
was  too  strong,  and  too  vigilantly  guarded  by 
the  royal  troops,  to  encourage  any  attempt  at 
a  rescn f. 


1652.]  THE  BOY-KING.  81 

Return  of  Mazarin.  First  care  of  Mazarin, 


In  the  mean  time,  Mazarin  had  placed  him- 
self at  the  head  of  the  royal  troops  in  one  'of 
the  provinces,  where  he  gained  se\7eral  unim- 
portant victories  over  the  bands  of  the  Fronde. 
These  successes  were  trumpeted  abroad  as 
great  achievements,  so  as  to  invest  the  cardi- 
nal with  the  renown  of  a  great  conqueror. 
Mazarin  was  well  aware  of  the  influence  of 
military  glory  upon  the  populace  in  Paris. 
The  king  also  began  to  feel  the  need  of  his 
dominant  mind.  He  was  invited  to  return  to 
Paris.  Louis  himself  rode  out  six  miles  be- 
yond the  walls  to  receive  him.  The  cardinal 
entered  the  city  in  triumph,  in  the  same  car- 
riage with  his  sovereign,  and  seated  by  his  side. 
All  the  old  idols  were  forgotten,  and  the  once 
detested  Mazarin  was  received  as  though  he 
were  an  angel  from  heaven.  Bonfires  and  il- 
luminations blazed  through  the  streets;  the 
W7hole  city  resounded  with  demonstrations  of 
rejoicing.  Thus  terminated  the  year  1652. 

The  first  care  of  Cardinal  Mazarin,  after  hia 
return  to  Paris,  was  to  restore  the  finances, 
which  were  in  a  deplorable  condition.  Louis 
was  fond  of  pleasure.  It  was  one  great  object 
of  the  cardinal  to  gratify  him  in  this  respect, 
in  every  possible  way.  Notwithstanding  the 
1—6 


82  Louis  XIV.  [1653. 

Festivities  at  court  Approaching  coronation. 

penury  of  the  court,  the  cardinal  contrived  to 
supply  the  king  with  money.  Thus,  during 
the  winter,  the  royal  palaces  resounded  with 
festivity  and  dissipation.  The  young  king  be- 
came very  fond  of  private  theatricals,  in  which 
he,  his  brother  Philip,  and  the  young  ladies  of 
the  court  took  prominent  parts.  Louis  often 
appeared  upon  the  stage  in  the  character  of  a 
ballet-dancer.  He  was  proud  of  the  grace 
with  which  he  could  perform  the  most  difficult 
pirouettes.  He  had  plays  written,  with  parts 
expressly  composed  for  his  aristocratic  troop. 

The  scene  of  these  rnasqueradings  was  the 
theatre  of  the  Hotel  du  Petit  Bourbon,  which 
was  contiguous  to  the  Louvre.  When  royalty 
plays  and  courtiers  fill  pit  and  gallery,  applause 
is  without  stint.  The  boy-king  was  much  ela- 
ted with  his  theatric  triumphs.  The  queen  and 
Cardinal  Mazarin  were  well  pleased  to  see  the 
king  expending  his  energies  in  that  direction. 

These  entertainments  cost  money,  which 
Mazarin  was  greatly  embarrassed  in  obtaining. 
The  hour  was  approaching  for  the  coronation 
of  Louis.  The  pageant  would  require  large 
sums  of  money  to  invest  the  occasion  with  the 
desirable  splendor.  But  gold  was  not  all  that 
was  wanted.  Rank,  brilliance,  beauty  were 


1653.]  THE  BOY-KING.  83 

Paucity  of  notabilities  at  the  coronation. 

requisite  suitably  to  impress  the  masses  of  the 
people.  But  the  civil  war  had  robbed  the 
court  of  many  of  its  most  attractive  ornaments. 

Monsieur,  the  duke  of  Orleans,  was  sullenly 
residing  at  Blois.  Here  he  held  a  somewhat 
rival  court  to  the  king.  He  refused  to  attend 
the  coronation  unless  certain  concessions  were 
granted,  to  which  Mazarin  could  not  give  his 
consent.  Mademoiselle,  the  duchess  of  Mont- 
pensier,  daughter  of  Monsieur  by  his  first  wife, 
a  young  lady  of  wonderful  heroism  and  attrac- 
tions, who  possessed  an  enormous  property  in 
her  own  right,  and  who  was  surrounded  by  a 
brilliant  court  of  her  own,  could  not  consistent- 
ly share  in  festivities  at  which  her  father  re- 
fused to  appear. 

The  Prince  of  Conde,  one  of  the  highest  no- 
bles of  the  realm,  and  who  had  many  adherents 
of  the  most  illustrious  rank,  was  in  arms  against 
his  king  at  the  head«of  the  Spanish  forces,  and 
sentence  of  death  had  been  pronounced  upon 
him. 

Cardinal  de  Retz  was  a  prisoner  at  Yincen- 
nes.  His  numerous  followers  in  Church  and 
State  refused  to  sanction  by  their  presence  any 
movements  of  a  court  thus  persecuting  their 
beloved  cardinal. 


84:  Louis  XIV.  [1653. 

The  king  repairs  to  Stenaj.  Louis  in  the  trenches. 

It  was  thus  impossible  to  invest  the  corona- 
tion with  the  splendor  which  the  occasion 
seemed  to  demand. 

The  coronation  took  place,  however,  at 
Rheims.  Cardinal  Mazariri  exerted  all  his 
ingenuity  to  render  the  pageant  imposing; 
but  the  absence  of  so  many  of  the  most  illus- 
trious of  the  realm  cast  an  atmosphere  of 
gloom  around  the  ceremonies. 

France  was  at  the  time  at  war  with  Spain. 
The  Fronde  co-operated  with  the  Spanish 
troops  in  the  civil  war.  Immediately  after 
the  coronation,  the  king,  then  sixteen  years  of 
age,  left  Rheims  to  place  himself  at  the  head 
of  the  army.  He  repaired  to  Stenay,  on -the 
Meuse,  in  the  extreme  northeastern  frontier  of 
France.  This  ancient  city,  protected  by  strong 
fortifications,  was  held  by  Conde".  The  royal 
troops  were  besieging  it.  The  poverty  of  the 
treasury  was  such  that  Mazarin  could  not  fur- 
nish Louis  even  with  the  luxury  of  a  carriage. 
He  traveled  on  horseback.  He  had  no  table 
of  his  own,  but  shared  in  that  of  the  Marquis 
de  Fabert,  the  general  in  command. 

It  seems  difficult  to  account  for  the  fact 
that  the  young  king  was  permitted  to  enter 
the  trenches,  and  to  engage  in  skirmishes, 


1653.1  THE  BOY-KING.  85 


Defeat  of  Conde. 


where  he  was  so  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  en- 
emy that  the  wounded  and  the  dead  were  con- 
tinually falling  around  him.  He  displayed 
much  courage  on  these  occasions. 

The  Prince  of  Conde*  left  a  garrison  in  one 
of  the  strong  fortresses,  and  marched  with  the 
main  body  of  his  troops  to  Arras.  The  move- 
ments of  the  two  petty  armies,  their  skirmishes 
and  battles,  are  no  longer  of  any  interest.  The 
battles  were  fought  and  the  victories  gained 
by  the  direction  of  the  generals  Turenne  and 
Fabert.  Though  the  boy -king  displayed  in- 
trepidity which  secured  for  him  the  respect  of 
the  soldiers,  he  could  exert  but  little  influence 
either  in  council  or  on  the  field.  Both  Stenay 
and  Arras  were  soon  taken.  The  army  of  the 
Prince  of  Conde  was  driven  from  all  its  posi- 
tions. 

The  king  returned  to  Paris  to  enjoy  the  grat- 
ulation  of  the  populace,  and  to  offer  public 
thanksgiving  in  the  cathedral  of  Notre  Dama 


86  Louis  XIV.  [1648. 

Gayeties  in  Paris.  Poverty  of  the  court. 


CHAPTER  III. 
MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS. 


is  nothing  so  successful  as  sue 
cess."  The  young  king  returned  to  Paris 
from  his  coronation  and  his  brief  campaign  a 
hero  and  a  conqueror.  The  courage  he  had 
displayed  won  universal  admiration.  The  ex- 
citable populace  were  half  frenzied  with  enthu- 
siasm. The  city  resounded  with  shouts  of  glad- 
ness, and  the  streets  were  resplendent  with  ths 
display  of  gorgeous  pageants. 

The  few  nobles  who  still  rallied  around  the 
court  endeavored  to  compensate  by  the  mag- 
nificence of  their  equipages,  the  elegance  of 
their  attire,  and  the  splendor  of  their  festiv- 
ities, for  their  diminished  numbers.  There 
were  balls  and  tournaments,  where  the  dress 
and  customs  of  the  by  -gone  ages  of  chivalry 
were  revived.  Ladies  of  illustrious  birth,  glit 
tering  in  jewels,  and  proud  in  conscious  beau- 
ty, contributed  to  the  gorgeousness  of  the  spec- 
tacle. Still,  in  the  midst  of  all  this  splendor, 
the  impoverished  court  was  greatly  embarrass- 
ed by  straitened  circumstances.. 


1648.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.          87 

Death  of  the  Archbishop  of  Paris.  Murmurings. 

Cardinal  Mazarin,  eager  to  retain  his  hold 
upon  the  king,  did  every  thing  he  could  to 
gratify  the  love  of  pleasure  which  his  royal 
master  developed,  and  strove  to  multiply  se- 
ductive amusements  to  engross  his  time  and 
thoughts. 

But  a  few  days  after  Cardinal  de  Retz  had 
been  conducted  a  prisoner  to  Yincennes,  his 
uncle,  the  Archbishop  of  Paris,  died.  The  car- 
dinal could  legally  claim  the  succession.  The 
metropolitan  clergy,  who  had  been  almost 
roused  to  rebellion  by  his  arrest,  were  now  still 
more  deeply  moved,  since  he  had  become  their 
archbishop.  They  regarded  his  captivity  as 
political  martyrdom,  and  their  murmurs  were 
deep  and  prolonged.  The  pope  also  addressed 
several  letters  to  the  court,  soliciting  the  liber- 
ation of  his  cardinal.  The  excitement  daily 
increased.  Nearly  all  the  pulpits  more  or  less 
openly  denounced  his  captivity.  At  length  a 
pamphlet  appeared  urging  the  clergy  to  close 
all  their  churches  till  their  archbishop  should 
be  released. 

Mazarin  was  frightened.  He  sent  an  envoy 
to  the  captive  cardinal  presenting  terms  of 
compromise.  "We  have  not  space  to  describe 
the  diplomacy  which  ensued,  but  the  confer- 


88  Louis  XIV.  [1653. 

Escape  of  Cardinal  de  Retz.  Manoeuvres  of  Anne  of  Austria. 

ence  was  unavailing.  The  cardinal  was  soon 
after  removed,  under  an  ^escort  of  dragoons,  to 
the  fortress  of  Nantes.  From  this  place  he 
almost  miraculously  escaped  to  his  own  terri- 
tory of  Retz,  where  he  was  regarded  as  sov 
ereign,  and  where  he  was  surrounded  by  re- 
tainers who,  in  impregnable  castles,  would 
fight  to  the  death  for  their  lord.  These  scenes 
took  place  early  in  the  summer  of  1653. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  young  king  was  amus- 
ing himself  in  his  various  palaces  with  the 
many  beautiful  young  ladies  who  embellished 
his  court.  Like  other  lads  of  fifteen,  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  falling  in  love  with  one  and 
another,  though  the  transient  passion  did  not 
seem  very  deeply  to  affect  his  heart.  Some  of 
these  maidens  were  exceedingly  beautiful.  In 
others,  vivacity  and  intellectual  brilliance  quite 
eclipsed  the  charms  of  the  highest  physical 
loveliness. 

Anne  of  Austria,  forgetting  that  the  all- 
dominant  passion  of  love  had  led  her  to  regret 
that  she  was  the  wife  of  the  king,  that  she 
might  marry  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  did 
not  deem  it  possible  that  her  son  could  stoop 
so  low  as  to  marry  any  one  who  was  not  of 
royal  blood.  She  therefore  regarded  without 


1653.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.          89 

Olympia  de  Mancini.  Henrietta  of  England. 

much  uneasiness  his  desperate  flirtations,  while 
she  was  scanning  the  courts  of  Europe  in 
search  of  an  alliance  which  would  add  to  the 
power  and  the  renown  of  her  son. 

One  of  the  nieces  of  Cardinal  Mazarin,  an 
Italian  girl  by  the  name  of  Olympia  Mancini, 
was  among  the  first  to  whom  the  boy-king  of 
fifteen  became  specially  attached.  Olympia 
was  very  beautiful,  and  her  personal  fascina- 
tions were  rivaled  by  her  mental  brilliance, 
wit,  and  tact.  She  was  by  nature  and  educa- 
tion a  thorough  coquette,  amiable  and  endear- 
ing to  an  unusual  degree.  She  had  a  sister  a 
little  older  than  herself,  who  was  also  extreme- 
ly beautiful,  who  had  recently  become  the 
Duchess  of  Merco3ur.  Etiquette  required  that 
in  the  balls  which  the  king  attended  every 
evening  he  should  recognize  the  rank  of  the 
duchess  by  leading  her  out  first  in  the  dance. 
After  this,  he  devoted  himself  exclusively,  for 
the  remainder  of  the  evening,  to  Olympia. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Henrietta,  the 
widowed  queen  of  Charles  II.,  who  was  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  IY.  and  sister  of  Louis  XIIL, 
was  then  residing  in  France.  She  had  no  pe- 
cuniary means  of  her  own,  and,  chagrined  and 
humiliated,  was  a  pensioner  upon  the  bounty 


90  Louis  XIV.  [1653. 

Embarrassment  of  Henrietta. 

of  the  impoverished  French  court.  Henrietta 
had  with  her  a  very  pretty  daughter,  eleven 
years  of  age.  Being  the  granddaughter  of 
Henry  IV.  and  daughter  of  Charles  II.,  she 
was  entitled,  through  the  purity  of  her  royal 
blood,  to  the  highest  consideration  in  the  eti- 
quette of  the  court.  But  the  mother  and  the 
daughter,  from  their  poverty  and  their  misfor- 
tunes, were  precluded  from  any  general  partic- 
ipation in  the  festivities  of  the  palace. 

The  queen,  Anne  of  Austria,  on  one  occa- 
sion, gave  a  private  ball  in  honor  of  these  un- 
fortunate guests  in  her  own  apartments.  None 
were  invited  but  a  few  of  her  most  intimate 
friends.  Henrietta  attended  with  her  daugh- 
ter, who  bore  her  mother's  name.  There  are 
few  situations  more  painful  than  that  of  poor 
relatives  visiting  their  more  prosperous  friends, 
who  in  charity  condescend  to  pay  them  some 
little  attention.  The  young  Henrietta  was  a 
fragile  and  timid  girl,  who  keenly  felt  the  em- 
barrassment of  her  situation.  As,  with  her 
face  suffused  with  blushes,  and  her  eyes  moist- 
ened with  the  conflicting  emotions  of  joyous- 
ness  and  fear,  she  entered  the  brilliant  saloon 
of  Anne  of  Austria,  crowded  with  those  below 
her  in  rank,  but  above  her  in  prosperity  and 


1654.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.          91 


Rudeness  of  Louis  XIV. 


all  worldly  aggrandizement,  she  was  received 
coldly,  with  no  marks  of  sympathy  or  attention. 
As  the  music  summoned  the  dancers  to  the 
floor,  the  king,  neglecting  his  young  and  royal 
cousin,  advanced,  according  to  his  custom,  to 
the  Duchess  of  Mercosur,  to  lead  her  out. 
The  queen,  shocked  at  so  gross  a  breach  of  eti- 
quette, and  even  of  kindly  feeling,  rose  from 
her  seat,  and,  advancing,  withdrew  the  hand  of 
the  duchess  from  her  son,  and  said  to  him,  in 
a  low  voice,  "  You  should  dance  first  with  the 
English  princess."  The  boy-king  sulkily  re- 
plied, "  I  am  not  fond  of  little  girls."  Both 
Henrietta  and  her  daughter  overheard  this  un- 
courteous  and  cruel  remark. 

Henrietta,  the  mother,  hastened  to  the  queen, 
and  entreated  her  not  to  attempt  to  constrain 
the  wishes  of  his  majesty.  It  was  an  exceed- 
ingly awkward  position  for  all  the  parties. 
The  spirit  of  Anne  of  Austria  was  aroused. 
Resuming  her  maternal  authority,  she  declared 
that  if  her  niece,  the  Princess  of  England,  were 
to  remain  a  spectator  at  the  ball,  her  son  should 
do  the  same.  Thus  constrained,  Louis  very  un- 
graciously led  out  Henrietta  upon  the  floor. 
The  young  princess,  tender  in  years,  sensi- 
tive through  sorrow,  wounded  and  heart-crush- 


92  Louis  XIV.  [1654. 

Royal  quarrel.  Independence  of  the  king. 

ed,  danced  with  tears  streaming  down  her 
cheeks. 

Upon  the  departure  of  the  guests,  the  moth- 
er and  the  son  had  their  first  serious  quarrel. 
Anne  rebuked  Louis  severely  for  his  shameful 
conduct.  The  king  rebelled.  Haughtily  fac- 
ing his  mother,  he  said,  "  I  have  long  enough 
been  guided  by  your  leading-strings.  I  shall 
submit  to  it  no  longer."  It  was  a  final  decla- 
ration of  independence.  Though  there  were 
tears  shed  on  both  sides,  and  the  queen  made 
strenuous  efforts  at  conciliation,  she  felt,  and 
j  ustly  felt,  that  the  control  of  her  son  had  pass- 
ed from  her  .forever.  It  was  a  crisis  in  the 
life  of  the  king.  From  that  hour  he  seemed 
disposed  on  all  occasions  to  assert  his  manhood. 

A  remarkable  indication  of  this  soon  occur- 
red. It  was  customary,  when  the  king,  through 
his  ministers,  issued  any  decrees,  that  they 
should  be  registered  by  the  Parliament,  to  give 
them  full  authority.  Some  very  oppressive 
decrees  had  been  issued  to  raise  funds  for  the 
court.  It  was  deemed  very  important  that  they 
should  be  registered.  The  king  in  person  at- 
tended Parliament,  that  the  influence  of  his 
presence  might  carry  the  measure.  No  one 
dared  to  oppose  in  the  presence  of  the  king. 


f654.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.          93 


Order  of  the  king. 


Louis  had  now  established  his  summer  resi- 
dence  at  the  castle  of  Vincennes.  Arrange- 
ments had  been  made  for  a  magnificent  hunt 
in  the  forest  the  next  day,  to  be  attended  by 
all  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  court.  The 
king,  after  leaving  the  Parliament,  returned  to 
Vincennes,  which  is  about  three  miles  from 
Paris.  He  had  scarcely  arrived  at  the  castle 
when  he  received  information  that,  immediate- 
ly upon  his  leaving  the  Parliament,  a  motion 
had  been  made  to  reconsider  the  approval  of 
the  decrees. 

The  king  dispatched  a  courier  ordering  the 
Chamber  to  reassemble  the  next  morning. 
The  pleasure-loving  courtiers  were  dismayed 
by  this  order,  as  they  thought  it  would  inter- 
fere with  the  hunt.  But  the  king  assured 
them  that  business  should  not  be  allowed  to 
interfere  with  his  pleasures. 

At  half  past  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning 
the  king  entered  the  chamber  of  deputies  in 
his  hunting-dress.  It  consisted  of  a  scarlet 
coat,  a  gray  beaver  hat,  and  high  military  boots. 
Pie  was  followed  by  a  large  retinue  of  the  no- 
bles of  his  court  in  a  similar  costume. 

"  In  this  unusual  attire,"  writes  the  Marquis 
de  Montglat,  "  the  king  heard  mass,  took  his 


94  Louis  XIV.  [1654 

Audacity  of  Louis.  Submission  of  Parliament 

place  with  the  accustomed  ceremonies,  and, 
with  a  whip  in  his  hand,  declared  to  the  Par- 
liament that  in  future  it  was  his  will  that  his 
edicts  should  be  registered,  and  not  discussed. 
He  threatened  them  that,  should  the  contrary 
occur,  he  would  return  and  enforce  obedience." 

How  potent  must  have  been  the  circumstan- 
ces which  the  feudalism  of  ages  had  created. 
These  assembled  nobles  yielded  without  a 
murmur  to  this  insolence  from  a  boy  of  eigh- 
teen. Parliament  had  ventured  to  try  its 
strength  against  Cardinal  Mazarin,  but  did  not 
dare  to  disobey  its  king. 

Soon  after  this,  Louis,  having  learned  that 
Turenne  had  gained  some  important  victories 
over  the  Fronde,  decided  to  join  the  army  to 
witness  the  siege  of  the  city  of  Conde*  and  of 
St.  Quilain.  Both  of  these  places  soon  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  Royalist  troops.  The 
king  had  looked  on.  Rapidly  he  returned  to 
Paris  to  enjoy  almost  a  Roman  triumph  for 
his  great  achievement. 

As  one  of  the  festivities  of  the  city,  the  king 
arranged  a  tournament  in  honor  of  his  avowed 
lady-love,  Olympia  Mancini.  She  occupied  a 
conspicuous  seat  among  the  ladies  of  the  court, 
her  lovely  person  decorated  with  a  dress  of  ex- 


1654.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.  95 

A  tournament.  Christina  of  Sweden. 

quisite  taste  and  beauty.  The  king  was  prom- 
inent in  his  attire  among  all  the  knights  as- 
sembled to  contest  the  palm  of  chivalry.  He 
was  dressed  in  robes  of  brilliant  scarlet.  A 
white  scarf  encircled  his  waist,  and  snow-white 
plumes  waved  gracefully  from  his  hat. 

The  scene  was  as  gorgeous  as  the  wealth  and 

D        O 

decorative  art  of  the  court  could  create.  There 
were  retainers  surrounding  the  high  lords,  and 
heralds,  and  pages,  and  trumpeters,  all  arrayed 
in  the  most  picturesque  costume.  No  one 
could  be  so  discourteous  or  impolitic  as  to  van- 
quish the  king.  He  consequently  bore  away 
all  the  laurels.  This  magnificent  tournament 
gave  the  name  of  "  The  Carousal"  to  the  space 
where  it  was  held,  between  the  Louvre  and  the 
Tuileries. 

Early  in  the  summer  the  court  removed  to 
Compiegne,  to  spend  the  season  in  rural  amuse- 
ments there.  Christina,  the  young  queen  of 
Sweden,  who  had  just  abdicated  the  throne, 
and  whose  eccentricities  had  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  Europe,  came  to  the  frontiers  of 
France  with  an  imposing  retinue,  and,  announ- 
cing her  arrival,  awaited  the  invitation  of  the 
king  to  visit  his  court.  She  was  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary  personages  of  that  or  any 


96  Louis  XIV.  [1654 

Reception  of  Christina. 

age.  Good  looking,  "  strong  minded"  to  the 
highest  degree,  masculine  in  dress  and  address, 
always  self-possessed,  absolutely  fearing  noth- 
ing, proud,  haughty,  speaking  fluently  eight 
languages,  familiar  with  art,  and  a  consummate 
intriguante,  she  excited  astonishment  and  a 
certain  degree  of  admiration  wherever  she  ap- 
peared. 

The  curiosity  of  Louis  was  so  greatly  excited 
and  so  freely  expressed  to  see  this  extraordi- 
nary personage  as  to  arouse  the  jealousy  of 
Olympia.  The  king  perceived  this.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  detestable  traits  in  our  fallen  na- 
ture that  one  can  take  pleasure  in  making  an- 
other unhappy.  The  unamiable  king  amused 
himself  in  torturing  the  feelings  of  Olympia. 

Christina  proceeded  at  first  to  Paris.  Here 
she  was  received  with  the  greatest  honor. 
For  a  distance  of  nearly  six  miles  from  the 
Louvre  the  streets  were  lined  with  armed  citi- 
zens, who  greeted  her  with  almost  unintermit- 
ted  applause.  The  crowd  was  so  great  that, 
though  she  reached  the  suburbs  of  Paris  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  she  did  not  alight  at 
the  Louvre  until  nine  o'clock  in  the  'evening. 
This  eccentric  princess  was  then  thirty  years 
of  age,  and,  though  youthful  in  appearance,  in 


1654.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.  99 


Her  eccentric  character. 


dress  and  manners  she  affected  the  Amazon. 
She  had  great  powers  of  pleasing,  and  her  wit, 
her  entire  self-reliance,  and  extensive  informa- 
tion, enabled  her  to  render  herself  very  attract- 
ive whenever  she  wished  to  do  so. 

After  spending  a  few  days  in  Paris,  she  pro- 
ceeded to  Compiegne  to  visit  the  king  and 
queen.  Louis  and  his  brother,  with  Mazarin 
and  a  crowd  of  courtiers,  rode  out  as  far  as 
Chantilly,  a  distance  of  nearly  twenty  miles,  to 
meet  her.  Christina  also  traveled  in  state,  ac- 
companied by  an  imposing  retinue.  Here 
there  was,  at  that  time,  one  of  the  largest  and 
finest  structures  in  France.  The  castle  belong- 
ed to  the  family  of  Conde.  The  opposite  cut 
presents  it  to  the  reader  as  it  then  appeared. 

The  king  and  his  brother,  from  some  freak, 
presented  themselves  to  her  at  first  incognito. 
They  were  introduced  by  Mazarin  as  two  of 
the  most  nobly  born  gentlemen  in  France. 
Christina  smiled,  and  promptly  replied, 

"  Yes,  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,  since  their  birth- 
right is  a  crown." 

She  had  seen  their  portraits  in  the  Louvre  the 
day  before,  and  immediately  recognized  them. 

Christina  was  to  be  honored  with  quite  a 
triumphal  entrance  to  Compiegne.  The  king 


100  Louis  XIV.  [1654. 

Astonishment  of  Anne  of  Austria. 

accordingly  returned  to  Compiegne,  and  the 
next  day,  with  the  whole  court  in  carriages, 
rode  out  a  few  leagues  to  a  very  splendid  man- 
sion belonging  to  one  of  the  nobles  at  Fayet. 
It  was  a  lovely  day,  warm  and  cloudless. 
Anne  of  Austria  decided  to  receive  her  illus- 
trious guest  upon  the  spacious  terrace.  There 
she  assembled  her  numerous  court,  resplendent 
with  gorgeous  dresses,  and  blazing  with  dia- 
monds. Soon  the  carriage  of  the  Swedish 
queen  drove  up,  with  the  loud  clatter  of  out- 
riders and  the  flourish  of  trumpets.  Cardinal 
Mazarin  and  the  Duke  de  Guise  assisted  her 
to  alight.  As  she  ascended  the  terrace  the 
queen  advanced  to  meet  her. 

Though  Anne  was  at  first  struck  with  amaze- 
ment at  the  ludicrous  appearance  of  the  attire 
of  Christina,  she  was  immediately  fascinated 
by  her  conversational  tact  and  brilliance. 
Some  allusion  having  been  made  to  the  por- 
trait of  the  king  in  the  Louvre,  the  queen  held 
out  her  arm  to  show  a  still  more  faithful  min- 
iature in  the  clasp  of  her  bracelet.  Anne  of 
Austria  had  a  very  beautiful  arm,  and  was 
very  proud  of  it.  Christina,  instead  of  looking 
at  the  bracelet,  surveyed  the  undraped  arm 
and  hand  with  admiration. 


1654.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.        101 


Varied  information  of  Christina. 


"  How  beautiful !  how  beautiful !"  she  ex- 
claimed. "  Never  did  I  see  an  arm  and  hand 
of  such  lovely  hue  and  such  exquisite  symme- 
try. I  would  willingly  have  made  the  journey 
from  Rome  to  Paris  to  see  this  arm." 

The  queen's  heart  was  won,  Christina  knew 
it.  The  next  achievement  was  to  win  the  king. 

Christina  was  apparently  as  familiar  with 
the  French  court,  and  all  the  intrigues  •  there, 
from  the  information  which  she  had  obtained, 
as  if  she  had  always  been  a  resident  at  that 
court.  She  immediately  turned  with  very 
marked  attention  to  Olympia  Mancini,  and 
seemed  dazzled  by  her  beauty.  The  heart  of 
the  boy-king  was  won  in  seeing  his  own  good 
taste  thus  highly  appreciated  and  sanctioned. 
Having  thus  secured  the  queen  and  the  king, 
Christina  was  well  aware  that  she  had  captiva- 
ted the  whole  court. 

An  elegant  collation  was  prepared.  The 
plump  little  queen  ate  like  a  hungry  dragoon. 
The  royal  cortege,  enveloping  the  Swedish 
princess,  returned  to  the  palace  of  Compiegne. 
Several  days  were  spent  at  Compiegne,  during 
which  she  astonished  every  one  by  the  remark- 
able self -poise  of  her  character,  her  varied  in- 
formation, and  the  versatility  of  her  talents. 


102  Louis  XIV.  [1654. 

Rudeness  of  the  ex-queen.  She  visits  Mademoiselle. 

She  conversed  upon  theology  with  the  ecclesi- 
astics, upon  politics  with  the  ministers,  upon 
all  branches  of  science  and  art  with  philoso- 
phers and  the  virtuosi,  and  eclipsed  the  most 
brilliant  of  the  courtiers  in  the  small-talk  of 
gallantry. 

She  attended  the  theatre  with  the  queen. 
During  the  tragedy  she  wept  like  a  child, 
heartily  and  unaffectedly.  During  the  farce, 
which  was  one  of  those  coarse  and  pungent 
compositions  by  the  poet  Scarron,  which  would 
now  be  scarcely  tolerated,  her  shouts  of  laugh- 
ter echoed  through  the  theatre.  She  astonish- 
ed the  court  by  clapping  her  hands  and  throw- 
ing her  feet  upon  the  top  of  the  royal  box,  like 
a  rowdy  in  a  smoking-room. 

From  Compiegne,  Christina,  by  invitation, 
went  to  Fontainebleau  to  visit  Mademoiselle  de 
Montpensier.  The  piquant  pen  of  Mademoi- 
selle has  described  this  interview.  Some  al- 
lowance must  perhaps  be  made  for  the  vein  of 
satire  which  pervaded  nearly  all  the  utterances 
of  this  haughty  princess.  The  dress  of  Chris- 
tina consisted  of  a  skirt  of  gray  silk,  trimmed 
with  gold  and  silver  lace,  with  a  bodice  of  gold- 
colored  camlet  trimmed  like  the  skirt.  She 
wore  a  kerchief  of  Genoa  point  about  her  neck. 


1654.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.        105 

Christina  returns  to  Sweden.  Outbreak  of  Christina. 

fastened  with  a  knot  of  white  ribbon.  A  light 
wig  concealed  her  natural  hair.  Her  hat  was 
profusely  decorated  with  white  plumes.  She 
looked,  upon  the  whole,  Mademoiselle  thought, 
like  a  handsome  boy. 

Mademoiselle,  accustomed  to  the  rigid  pro- 
priety of  the  French  court,  was  not  a  little  sur- 
prised to  hear  Christina,  during  the  comedy, 
interlard  her  conversation  with  hearty  oaths, 
with  all  the  volubility  of  an  old  guardsman. 
She  flung  about  her  legs  in  the  most  astonish- 
ing manner,  throwing  them  over  the  arms  of 
her  chair,  and  placing  herself  in  attitudes  quite 
unprecedented  in  Parisian  circles. 

Soon  after  this,  this  Amazonian  princess  re- 
turned by  a  circuitous  route  to  her  Northern 
home.  Before  taking  leave  of  her,  it  may  be 
well  to  remark  that  subsequently  Christina 
made  a  second  visit  to  France  uninvited — not 
only  uninvited,  but  very  unwelcome.  She 
took  possession  of  the  palace  of  Fontainebleau 
with  her  attendants,  where  with  cold  courtesy 
she  was  tolerated.  In  a  freak  of  passion,  she 
accused  her  grand  equerry,  M.  Monaldeschi,  of 
high  treason,  and  actually  put  him  to  death. 
So  high-handed  an  outrage,  even  in  those  days 
of  feudal  barbarism,  excited  throughout  France 


106  Louis  XIV.  [1654. 

Letter  to  Cardinal  Mazariiv. 

a  universal  feeling  of  disgust  and  indignation. 
The  sentiment  was  so  strong  and  general  that 
the  king  deemed  it  necessary  to  send  her  a  let- 
ter through  his  minister,  Mazarin,  expressive 
of  his  extreme  displeasure. 

Christina,  much  exasperated,  sent  a  reply 
containing  the  following  expressions : 

"  MR.  MAZAKIN, — Those  who  acquainted  yon 
with  the  details  regarding  Monaldeschi,  my 
equerry,  were  very  ill  informed.  Your  pro- 
ceeding ought  not,  however,  to  astonish  me,  sil- 
ly as  it  is.  But  I  should  never  have  believed 
that  either  you  or  your  haughty  young  master 
would  have  dared  to  exhibit  the  least  resent- 
ment toward  me.  Learn  all  of  you,  valets  and 
masters,  little  and  great,  that  it  was  my  pleas- 
ure to  act  as  I  did  ;  that  I  need  not,  and  I  will 
not  account  for  my  actions  to  any  one  in  the 
world,  and  particularly  to  bullies  of  your  de- 
scription. I  wish  you  to  know,  and  to  say  to 
all  who  will  hear  it,  that  Christina  cares  very 
little  about  your  court,  and  still  less  about 
yourself;  and  that,  in  order  to  revenge  my 
wrongs,  I  do  not  require  to  have  recourse  to 
your  formidable  power.  Believe  me,  there- 
fore, Jules,*  you  had  better  conduct  yourself 
*  Jules,  the  Christian  name  of  Mazarin. 


1656.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.         107 


Count  de  Soissons. 


in  a  manner  to  deserve  my  favor,  which  you 
can  not  study  too  much  to  secure.  God  pre- 
serve you  from  ever  risking  the  least  indiscreet 
remark  upon  my  person.  Although  at  the  end 
of  the  earth,  I  shall  be  informed  of  your  plots. 
I  have  friends  and  courtiers  in  my  service  who 
are  as  clever  and  far-sighted  as  yours,  although 
they  are  not  so  well  paid.  CHRISTINA." 

Soon  after  this  her  Swedish  majesty  disap- 
peared from  France,  to  the  great  relief  of  the 
court,  and  was  seen  there  no  more. 

Olympia  Mancini  had  ever  increasing  evi- 
dence that  the  love  of  the  king  for  her  was 
but  a  frivolous  and  heartless  passion.  The 
Count  de  Soissons,  of  Savoy,  a  young  prince 
who  had  just  become  the  head  of  his  house, 
visited  the  court  of  Louis  XIV.  The  marvel- 
ous beauty  of  Olympia,  at  first  glance,  won  his 
heart.  He  was  young,  handsome,  chivalric, 
high-born,  and  was  just  entering  upon  a  mag- 
nificent inheritance.  Olympia  had  recently 
lost  by  death  a  mother  whom  she  greatly  re- 
vered, and  a  beloved  sister.  She  was  over- 
whelmed with  grief.  The  entire  want  of  sym- 
pathy manifested  by  the  king  shocked  her. 
He  thought  of  nothing  but  his  own  personal 
pleasure.  Regardless  of  the  grief  of  Olympia, 


108  Louis  XIV.  [1656. 

Marriage  of  Olympia  Mancini.  Mademoiselle  d'Argencourt 

he  exhibited  himself,  evening  after  evening,  in 
court  theatricals,  emulating  the  agility  of  an 
opera-dancer,  and  attired  in  spangled  robes. 

Wounded  and  irritated  by  such  conduct, 
Olympia  accepted  the  proffered  hand  of  the 
Count  de  Soissons,  who  was  grandson  of 
Charles  V.  The  marriage  was  attended  with 
great  splendor  at  the  palace  of  the  Louvre. 
All  the  court  was  present.  The  king  himself 
seemed  not  at  all  discomposed  that  another 
should  marry  the  beautiful  maiden  whom  he 
had  professed  so  ardently  to  love.  Indeed,  he 
was  already  beginning  to  transfer  his  atten- 
tions to  Mademoiselle  d'Argencourt,  a  queenly 
beauty  of  the  high  family  of  Conti.  Her  fig- 
ure was  perfect,  her  manners  were  courtly  in 
the  highest  degree,  and  all  who  approached 
her  were  charmed  with  her  conversational  vi- 
vacity and  tact. 

But  Mademoiselle's  affections  were  already 
engaged,  and,  being  fully  aware  that  the  king 
flitted  from  beauty  to  beauty,  like  the  butter- 
fly from  flower  to  flower,  she  very  frankly  in- 
timated to  the  king  that  she  could  not  receive 
his  attentions.  Louis  was  heart-broken ;  for 
such  fragile  hearts  are  easily  broken  and  as 
easily  repaired.  He  hastened  to  his  mother, 


1656.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.        109 

The  Pope's  choir.  Mary  Mancini. 

and  told  her  that  he  must  leave  Paris  to  con- 
quer his  passion.  The  love-sick  monarch  re- 
tired to  Yincennes,  spent  ten  days  there,  and 
returned  quite  cured. 

The  marriage  of  Olympia,  as  we  have  men- 
tioned, was  celebrated  with  very  great  brill- 
iance. The  ambitious  cardinal,  in  heart  dis- 
appointed that  he  had  not  been  able  to  confer 
the  hand  of  Olympia  on  the  king,  was  increas- 
ingly desirous  of  investing  the  members  of  his 
family  with  all  possible  eclat.  He  had  im- 
ported for  the  occasion  the  principal  members 
of  the  Pope's  choir.  These  wonderful  vocal- 
ists from  the  Sistine  Chapel  astonished  the 
French  court  with  melody  and  harmony  such 
as  had  never  been  heard  in  the  Louvre  before. 

Olympia  had  a  younger  sister,  Mary,  fifteen 
years  of  age.  She  had  come  from  her  school 
in  a  convent  to  witness  the  marriage  festivities. 
The  music  and  the  impressive  scene  affected 
the  artless  child  deeply,  and  her  tears  flowed 
freely.  The  king,  surrounded  by  the  brilliant 
beauties  of  his  court,  accidentally  caught  sight 
of  this  child.  Though  not  beautiful,  there  was 
something  in  her  unaffected  attitude,  her  tears, 
her  entire  absorption  in  the  scene,  which. ar- 
rested his  attention. 


110  Louis  XIV.  [1656. 

Description  of  Mary  Mancini. 

Mary  had  early  developed  so  bold,  indepen- 
dent, and  self-reliant  a  spirit  as  to  induce  her 
father,  on  his  death-bed,  to  entreat  Madame  de 
Mancini  to  compel  her  to  take  the  veil.  In 
compliance  with  this  in  junction,  Mary  had  been 
placed  in  a  convent  until  she  should  attain  the 
fitting  age  to  assume  the  irrevocable  vows. 
Thus  trained  in  seclusion,  and  with  no  ambi- 
tious aspirations,  she  had  acquired  a  character 
of  perfect  simplicity,  and  her  countenance  bore 
an  expression  of  intelligence  and  sensibility 
far  more  attractive  than  ordinary  beauty.  A 
contemporaneous  writer  says, 

"  Her  movements,  her  manners,  and  all  the 
bearing  of  her  person  were  the  result  of  a  na- 
ture guided  by  grace.  Her  look  was  tender, 
the  accents  of  her  voice  were  enchanting. 
Her  genius  was  great,  substantial,  and  exten- 
sive, and  capable  of  the  grandest  conceptions. 
She  wrote  both  good  prose  and  pleasing  poet- 
ry ;  and  Mary  Mancini,  who  shone  in  a  court- 
ly letter,  was  equally  capable  of  producing  a 
political  or  state  dispatch.  She  would  not 
have  been  unworthy  of  the  throne  if  among 
us  great  merit  had  been  entitled  to  obtain  it." 

The  king  inquired  her  name.  Upon  learn- 
ing that  she  was  a  niece  of  the  cardinal,  and 


1656.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.        Ill 

Mary  Mancini  becomes  a  member  of  the  court. 


a  sister  of  Olympia,  he  desired  that  she  might 
be  presented  to  him. 

Mary  was  an  enthusiast.  The  young  king 
was  very  handsome,  very  courtly,  and  a  perfect 
master  of  all  the  phrases  of  gallantry.  Mary 
fell  in  love  with  him,  without  knowing  it,  at 
first  sight.  It  was  not  the  monarch  which  had 
won  her,  but  the  man,  of  exquisitely  symmet- 
rical proportions,  so  princely  in  his  bearing,  so 
fascinating  in  his  address.  The  young  school- 
girl returned  to  her  convent  with  the  image  of 
the  king  indelibly  engraven  on  her  heart.  The 
few  words  which  passed  between  them  inter- 
ested the  king,  for  every  word  she  said  bore 
the  impress  of  her  genius.  Ere  long  she  was 
added  to  the  ladies  of  the  queen's  household. 

The  king,  having  closed  his  flirtation  with 
Mademoiselle  d'Argencourt,  found  himself  al- 
most insensibly  drawn  to  Mary  Mancini. 
Though  there  were  many  in  his  court  more 
beautiful  in  person,  there  were  none  who  could 
rival  her  in  intellect  and  wit.  Though  natu- 
rally timid,  her  reserve  disappeared  when  in 
his  presence.  Though  ever  approaching  him 
with  the  utmost  possible  deference  and  respect, 
she  conversed  with  him  with  a  frankness  to 
which  he  was  entirely  unaccustomed,  and 


112  Louis  XIV.  [1656. 

Her  influence  over  Louis.  Ambitious  views  of  Mazarin. 

which,  at  the  same  time,  surprised  and  charm- 
ed him. 

His  vanity  was  gratified  with  the  almost  re- 
ligious devotion  with  which  she  unaffectedly 
regarded  her  sovereign,  while  at  the  same  time 
she  addressed  him  with  a  bold  simplicity  of 
utterance  which  astounded  the  courtiers  and 
enthralled  the  king.  He  was  amazed  and  be- 
wildered by  the  grandeur  of  a  character  such 
as  he  had  never  encountered  before.  She  re- 
proved him  for  his  faults,  instructed  him  in  his 
ignorance,  conversed  with  him  upon  themes 
beyond  the  ordinary  range  of  his  intellect,  and 
endeavored  to  enkindle  within  him  noble  im- 
pulses and  a  lofty  ambition.  The  king  found 
himself  quite  unable  to  compete  with  her 
strength  of  intellect.  His  weaker  nature  be- 
came more  and  more  subject  to  one  endowed 
with  gifts  far  superior  to  his  own.  In  every 
hour  of  perplexity,  in  every  serious  moment, 
when  the  better  nature  of  the  king  gained  a 
transient  ascendency,  he  turned  from  the  fri- 
volity of  the  gay  and  thoughtless  beings  flut- 
tering around  him  to  Mary  Mancini  for  guid- 
ance and  strength. 

The  ambition  of  Cardinal  Mazarin  was  again 
excited  with  the  hope  that  he  might  yet  place 


1656.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.        113 

Projects  for  the  marriage  of  Louis  XIV. 

a  niece  upon  the  throne  of  France.  But  there 
•was  no  end  to  the  intrigues  of  ambitious  aspi- 
rants, directly  or  indirectly,  for  the  hand  of  the 
young  king.  Mademoiselle  de  Montpensier 
had  enormous  wealth,  was  of  high  birth,  and 
was  endowed  with  marvelous  force  of  charac- 
ter. She  had  long  aspired  to  share  the  throne 
with  her  young  cousin.  When  it  was  evident 
that  this  plan  had  failed,  the  Duke  of  Orleans 
brought  forward  a  younger  daughter  by  a  sec- 
ond wife.  But  Mazarin  succeeded  in  thwart- 
ing this  arrangement.  The  Princess  Henrietta 
of  England,  whom  the  young  king  had  treated 
so  cruelly  at  the  ball,  was  urged  upon  him. 
She  was  lovely  in  person,  amiable  in  character, 
but  in  poverty  and  exile.  Cromwell  was  in 
the.  plenitude  of  his  power.  There  was  no 
probability  that  her  family  would  be  restored 
to  the  throne.  The  king  turned  coldly  from 
her. 

Portugal  was  then  one  of  the  most  wealthy 
and  powerful  courts  of  Europe.  The  Queen  of 
Portugal  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  unite  her 
daughter  with  the  King  of  France.  Through 
her  embassadors  she  endeavored  to  effect  an 
alliance.  A  portrait  of  the  princess  was  sent 
to  Louis.  It  was  very  beautiful.  The  king 

1—8 


114  Louis  XIV.  [1656. 

Diplomatic  efforts  with  Spain. 

made  private  inquiries.  She  was  very  plain. 
This  settled  the  question.  The  Portuguese 
princess  was  thought  of  no  more. 

The  King  of  Spain  had  a  very  beautiful 
daughter,  Maria  Theresa.  The  Spanish  mon- 
archy then,  perhaps,  stood  second  to  none  oth 
er  on  the  globe.  Spain  and  France  were  en- 
gaged in  petty  and  vexatious  hostilities.  A 
matrimonial  alliance  would  secure  friendship. 
The  matter  was  much  talked  of.  The  proud 
queen-mother,  Anne  of  Austria,  was  very  solic- 
itous to  secure  that  alliance,  as  it  would  grati- 
fy her  highest  ambition.  Mazariu  professed 
warmly  to  favor  it.  He  probably  saw  insuper- 
able obstacles  in  the  way,  but  hoped,  by  co- 
operating cordially  with  the  wishes  of  the 
queen,  to  be  able  finally  to  secure  the  marriage 
of  the  king  with  Mary  Mancini. 

Maria  Theresa  was  heiress  to  the  throne  of 
Spain.  Should  she  marry  Louis  XIV.,  it  would 
be  necessary  for  her  to  leave  Spain  and  reside 
in  Paris.  Thus  the  Queen  of  France  .would 
be  the  Queen  of  Spain.  In  fact,  Spain  would 
be  annexed  to  France  as  a  sort  of  tributary  na- 
tion, the  court  being  at  Paris,  and  all  the  of- 
fices being  at  the  disposal  of  the  Queen  of 
France,  residing  there.  The  pride  of  the  Span- 


1656.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.         115 

The  Princess  of  Orange.  Power  of  Mary  MancinL 

iards  revolted  from  this,  and  still  the  diploma- 
tists were  conferring  upon  the  matter. 

Henrietta,  the  unfortunate  widow  of  Charles 
I.  of  England,  had  an  elder  daughter,  who  had 
married  the  Prince  of  Orange,  the  head  of  the 
illustrious  house  of  Nassau.  This  Princess  of 
Orange  was  very  beautiful,  young,  in  the  en- 
joyment of  vast  possessions,  and  a  widow.  She 
aspired  to  the  hand,  and  to  share  the  crown-  of 
the  King  of  France.  Surrounded  by  great 
magnificence  and  blazing  with  jewels,  she  visit- 
ed the  court  of  Louis  XIV.  Her  mission  was 
signally  unsuccessful.  The  king  took  a  strong 
dislike  to  her,  and  repelled  her  advances  with 
marked  discourtesy. 

.  While  matters  were  in  this  state,  Charles  II. 
offered  his  hand  to  Mary  Mancini.  But  the 
proud  cardinal  would  not  allow  his  niece  to 
marry  a  crownless  and  impoverished  king.  In 
the  mean  time,  Mary  Mancini,  by  her  increas- 
ing beauty  and  her  mental  superiority,  was 
gaining  daily  more  influence  over  the  mind  of 
the  king.  With  a  voice  of  singular  melody, 
a  brilliant  eye,  a  figure  as  graceful  and  elastic 
as  that  of  a  fairy,  and  with  words  of  wonder- 
ful wisdom  flowing,  as  it  were,  instinctively 
from  her  lips,  she  seemed  effectually  and  al- 


116  Louis  XIV.  [1656. 

The  Princess  Marguerite.  Anger  of  the  qneen  regent. 

most  unconsciously  to  have  enthralled  the  king. 
All  his  previous  passions  were  boyish  and 
ephemeral.  But  Mary  was  very  different  from 
any  other  lady  of  the  court.  Her  depth  of 
feeling,  her  pensive  yet  cheerful  temperament, 
and  her  full-so  uled  sympathy  in  all  that  was 
truly  noble  in  conduct  and  character,  astonish- 
ed and  engrossed  the  susceptible  monarch. 

The  Duchess  of  Savoy  had  a  daughter,  Mar- 
guerite, whom  she  wished  to  have  become  the 
wife  of  the  French  king.  The  princess  was 
by  birth  of  the  highest  rank,  being  a  descend- 
ant of  Henry  IY.  The  duchess  sent  as  an  en- 
voy a  young  Piedmontese  count  to  treat  secret- 
ly with  the  cardinal  for  the  marriage  of  the 
king  with  the  Princess  Marguerite.  The  count 
was  unsuccessful.  It  was  quite  evident  that 
Mazarin  was  intending  to  secure  the  marriage 
»f  the  king  with  his  niece. 

The  proud  queen,  Anne  of  Austria,  became 
greatly  alarmed.  She  mortally  offended  the 
cardinal  by  declaring  to  him  that  nothing 
should  induce  her  to  consent  to  such  a  degra- 
dation of  her  son  as  to  permit  his  marriage 
with  the  niece  of  the  cardinal.  She  declared 
that  in  such  an  event  she  herself  would  head 
an  insurrection  against  the  king,  and  that  the 


1656.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.        117 

Decision  of  the  cabinet.  New  negotiations. 

whole  of  France  would  revolt  both  against  him 
and  his  minister.  These  bitter  words  ever  aft- 
er rankled  in  the  bosom  of  the  cardinal. 

The  queen  summoned  a  secret  assembly  of 
the  cabinet,  and  put  to  them  the  question 
whether  the  marriage  of  her  son  without  her 
consent  would  be  a  valid  one.  The  unanimous 
decision  was  in  the  negative.  She  then  had 
this  decision  carefully  drawn  up,  and  made  ef- 
fectual arrangements  to  have  it  registered  by 
the  Parliament,  should  the  king  secretly  mar- 
ry Mary  Mancini. 

The  cardinal  now  found  himself  compelled 
to  abandon  his  ambitious  hopes  for  his  niece, 
and  opened  again  negotiations  with  Spain  for 
the  hand  of  the  Infanta  Maria  Theresa,  and 
with  the  court  of  Savoy  for  the  Princess  Mar- 
guerite. The  Spanish  marriage  would  termi- 
nate the  war.  The  union  with  Savoy  would 
invest  France  with  new  powers  for  its  vigorous 
prosecution. 

Every  day  the  attachment  of  the  king  to 
Mary  Mancini  became  more  undisguised.  She 
guided  his  reading ;  she  taught  him  the  Italian 
language ;  she  introduced  to  him  the  names  of 
great  men  in  the  works  of  literature  and  art, 
and  labored  heroically  to  elevate  his  tastes,  and 


118  Louis  XIV.  [1656. 

The  two  courts  arrange  to  meet  at  Lyons. 

to  inspire  him  with  the  ambition  of  perform- 
ing glorious  deeds. 

The  queen,  in  her  anxiety,  made  arrange- 
ments for  the  king  to  meet  the  Princess  Mar- 
guerite at  Lyons,  that  they  might  be  betrothed. 
She  greatly  preferred  the  alliance  with  Spain  ; 
but  as  there  seemed  to  be  insuperable  objec- 
tions to  that,  she  turned  her  attention  to  Savoy. 
The  king  continued  his  marked  and  almost  ex- 
clusive attentions  to  Mary,  and  she  loved  him 
with  the  full  flow  of  her  ardent  affections. 

The  whole  court  was  to  proceed  in  great 
magnificence  to  Lyons,  to  meet  the  court  of 
Savoy.  Mary  was  compelled  to  accompany 
the  court.  She  knew  full  well  the  errand 
upon  which  Louis  was  bound.  Though  her 
heart  was  heavy,  and  tears  dimmed  her  eyes, 
she  was  obliged  to  appear  cheerful.  She  had 
made  an  earnest  effort  to  avoid  the  journey, 
but  Anne  of  Austria  was  obdurate  and  cruel. 
She  assured  Mary  that  she  could  not  spare  her 
presence  when  she  wished  to  impress  the  Prin- 
cess Marguerite  with  the  magnificence  and 
beauty  of  the  French  court. 

The  court  of  Savoy  left  Turin*  at  the  same 
time  that  the  French  court  left  Paris.  The 
pledge  had  been  given  that,  should  the  king  be 


1656.]    MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS.         119 


Fickleness  of  Louis.  The  royal  parties  meet 

pleased  with  the  appearance  of  Marguerite, 
the  marriage  should  take  place  without  delay. 
During  the  journey,  the  heartless  and  fickle 
king,  ever  charmed  by  novelty,  was  in  buoyant 
spirits.  Though  he  still  clung  to  the  side  of 
Mary,  giving  her  a  seat  in  his  own  carriage, 
and,  when  the  weather  was  fine,  riding  by  her 
side  on  horseback,  he  tortured  her  heart  by  the 
joyousness  with  which  he  spoke  of  the  antici- 
pated charms  of  Marguerite  and  of  his  ap- 
proaching marriage. 

At  Lyons  the  royal  party  was  received  with 
great  magnificence.  The  next  day  it  was  an- 
nounced that  the  court  of  Savoy  was  approach- 
ing. The  queen-mother  and  her  son,  with  two 
ladies  in  the  royal  coach,  preceded,  and,  follow- 
ed by  a  considerable  retinue,  advanced  to  meet 
their  guests.  The  king  mounted  his  horse  and 
galloped  forward  to  get  a  sight  of  Marguerite 
without  being  known  by  her.  She  was  riding 
in  an  open  barouche.  He  soon  returned  in 
great  glee,  and,  springing  from  the  saddle,  re- 
entered  the  carriage,  and  informed  his  mother 
that  the  Princess  Marguerite  was  very  beauti- 
ful. Scarcely  had  he  said  this  ere  the  two 
royal  coaches  met.  Both  parties  alighted. 
The  princess  was  introduced  to  Louis.  Then 


120  Louis  XIV.  [1656. 

The  Princess  Marguerite.  Sorrows  of  Mary. 

the  queen-mother  and  her  son,  the  Duchess  of 
Savoy  and  the  Princess  Marguerite,  and  an 
elder  daughter,  who  was  a  widow,  entered  the 
royal  coach  and  returned  to  Lyons.  The  king 
was  in  exuberant  spirits.  He  at  once  entered 
into  the  most  animated  and  familiar  conversa- 
tion with  the  princess. 

The  Princess  Marguerite  fully  appreciated 
the  embarrassment  of  her  own  situation.  She 
was  going  to  Lyons  to  present  herself  to  Louis 
XIV.  to  see  if  he  would  take  her  for  his  wife. 
The  humiliation  of  being  rejected  would  be 
dreadful.  In  vain  she  implored  her  mother 
to  spare  her  from  such  a  possibility.  But  the 
question  seemed  to  be  at  once  settled  favora- 
bly. The  king  was  manifestly  much  pleased 
with  Marguerite,  and  the  princess  could  see 
nothing  but  attractions  in  the  young,  hand- 
some, and  courtly  sovereign  of  France. 

Poor  Mar}7,  who  was  informed  of  every  thing 
that  transpired,  was  suffering  martyrdom.  She 
was  immediately  forsaken  and  forgotten.  In 
public,  all  her  force  of  character  was  called 
into  requisition  to  dress  her  face  in  smiles.  In 
her  secret  apartment  she  wept  bitterly. 


1658.]  MARRIAGE   OF  THE  KING. 

Marguerite  of  Savoy.  SucWen  change  of  prospects. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  MARRIAGE  OF  THE  KING. 

r  I  ^HE  Princess  Marguerite  of  Savoy  was  very 
-*-  beautiful.  She  was  a  brunette,  with  large, 
lustrous  eyes,  fairy -like  proportions,  queenly 
bearing,  and  so  graceful  in  every  movement 
that  she  scarcely  seemed  to  touch  the  ground 
as  she  walked.  Her  reception  by  the  king,  the 
queen,  and  the  whole  court  was  every  thing 
that  could  be  desired.  The  duchess  and  her 
daughter  that  night  placed  their  heads  upon 
their  pillows  with  the  undoubting  conviction 
that  Marguerite  was  to  be  the  Queen  of  Erance. 
The  king  ordered  his  suite  to  be  ready,  in  their 
gala  dresses,  to  attend  him  on  the  morrow  to 
the  apartments  of  the  princess. 

The  morning  came.  To  the  surprise  and 
bewilderment  of  the  court,  every  thing  was 
changed.  The  king  was  thoughtful,  distant, 
reserved.  With  great  formality  of  etiquette, 
he  called  upon  the  princess.  His  countenance 
and  manner  indicated  an  entire  change  of  feel- 
ing. With  the  coldest  phrases  of  court  etiquette 


122  Louis  XIV.  [1658. 

An  heir  to  the  Spanish  throne.  Rejection  of  Marguerite. 

he  addressed  her.  He  was  civil,  and  civil  only. 
The  warmth  of  the  lover  had  disappeared  en- 
tirely. The  Duchess  of  Savoy  was  astounded. 
Even  the  French  court  seemed  stupefied  by  so 
unexpected  and  decisive  an  alteration  in  the 
aspect  of  affairs. 

The  explanation  which  gradually  came  to 
light  was  very  simple.  During  the  night  a 
courier  had  arrived,  in  breathless  haste,  with 
the  announcement  that  the  Queen  of  Spain 
had  given  birth  to  a  son.  Maria  Theresa  was 
no  longer  heir  to  the  throne.  The  way  was 
consequently  open  to  the  Spanish  marriage. 
This  alliance  would  secure  peace  with  Spain, 
and  was  altogether  a  more  powerful  and 
wealthy  connection  than  that  with  the  court 
of  Savoy.  The  cardinal  immediately  commu- 
nicated the  intelligence  to  the  queen -mother 
and  the  king.  They  alone  knew  it.  Margue- 
rite was  to  be  rejected,  and  the  hand  of  Maria 
Theresa  to  be  claimed. 

Mary  Mancini  was  utteily  bewildered  by  the 
change,  so  inexplicable  to  her,  in  the  posture  of 
affairs.  The  face  of  the  queen  was  radiant  with 
joy.  The  king  seemed  a  little  embarrassed,  but 
very  triumphant.  The  Duchess  of  Savoy  be- 
trayed alternately  surprise,  indignation,  and  de- 


1658.]  MARRIAGE   OF   THE  KING.        123 

Mazarin  communicates  with  the  Duchess  of  Savoy. 

spair.  The  eagle  eye  and  painful  experience 
of  Mary  taught  her  that  the  Princess  Margue- 
rite was  struggling  to  retain  her  self-possession, 
and  to  maintain  a  cheerful  spirit,  while  some 
terrible  blow  had  fallen  upon  her. 

The  news  from  Spain  was  such  that  Mazarin, 
upon  receiving  it  after  midnight,  hastened  to 
the  bedchamber  of  the  queen  with  the  an- 
nouncement. As  he  entered,  the  queen  rose 
upon  her  pillow,  and  the  cardinal  said  : 

"  I  have  come  to  tell  you,  madame,  a  piece  of 
news  which  your  majesty  never  anticipated." 

"  Is  peace  proclaimed  ?"  inquired  the  queen, 
earnestly. 

"More  than  peace,"  the  cardinal  exultantly 
replied  ;  "  for  the  Infanta  brings  peace  in  her 
hand  as  but  a  portion  of  her  dower." 

This  extraordinary  scene  took1  place  on  the 
night  of  the  29th  of  November,  1658.  It  was 
the  task  of  the  wily  cardinal  to  break  the  hu- 
miliating intelligence  to  the  Duchess  of  Savoy. 
He  assured  her  that  he  felt  bound  to  seek, 
above  all  things  else,  the  interests  of  France ; 
that  an  opportunity  had  unexpectedly  occurred 
for  an  alliance  with  Spain ;  that  this  alliance 
was  far  more  desirable  than  any  other ;  but  that, 
should  any  thing  occur  to  interrupt  these  nego- 


124  Louis  XIV.  [1658. 

Private  interview  of  Mazarin  and  the  Duchess  of  Savoy. 

tiations,  he  would  do  every  thing  in  his  power 
to  promote  the  marriage  of  the  king  with  the 
Princess  Marguerite.  . 

Notwithstanding  the  intense  irritation  which 
this  communication  excited,there  was  too  much 
self-respect  and  too  much  good  breeding  in  the 
court  of  Savoy  to  allow  of  a  sudden  rupture, 
which  would  provoke  the  sarcastic  remarks  of 
the  world.  Still  the  duchess,  in  a  private  in- 
terview with  Mazarin,  could  not  restrain  her 
feelings,  but  broke  out  into  passionate  upbraid- 
ings.  The  thought  that  sjie  had  been  lured  to 
expose  herself  and  her  daughter  to  the  derision 
of  all  Europe  stung  her  to  the  quick.  The 
Princess  Marguerite,  however,  by  her  graceful 
composure,  by  her  courtesy  to  all  around  her, 
and  by  the  skill  with  which  she  concealed  her 
wounded  feelings,  won  the  admiration  of  all 
in  both  courts. 

For  several  days  the  two  courts  remained 
together,  engaged  in  a  round  of  festi  vities. 
This  seemed  necessary  to  avoid  the  appear- 
ance of  an  open  rupture.  The  fickle  king,  in 
these  assemblies,  treated  Marguerite  with  his 
customary  courtesy;  but  he  immediately  turned 
to  Mary  Maucini  with  his  marked  attentions 
and  devotion,  dancing  with  her  repeatedly  on 


1658.]    MARRIAGE  OF  THE  KING.        125 


Conduct  of  the  king. 


the  same  evening,  and  keeping  her  constantly 
by  his  side.  Indeed,  his  attentions  were  so 
very  marked  as  to  lead  the  courtiers  to  think 
that  the  king  rejoiced  at  his  escape  from  his 
marriage  with  Marguerite  from  the  hope  that 
it  might  yet  lead  to  his  securing  Mary  for  his 
bride.  But  it  is  more  probable  that  the  king, 
utterly  selfish,  reckless  of  the  feelings  of  others, 
and  devoted  to  his  own  enjoyment,  sought  the 
society  of  Mary  because  it  so  happened  that  she 
was  the  one,  more  than  any  other  then  within 
his  reach,  who,  by  her  personal  beauty  and  her 
mental  attractions,  could  best  beguile  his  weary 
hours.  He  was  ready  at  any  moment,  without 
a  pang,  to  lay  her  aside  for  another  who  could 
better  minister  to  his  pleasure  or  to  the  aspir- 
ings of  his  ambition. 

The  king,  with  his  court,  returned  to  Pans. 
The  secret  communicated  by  the  mysterious 
visitor  from  Spain  was  still  undivulged.  The 
mystery  was  so  great,  and  its  apparent  bearing 
upon  the  destiny  of  Mary  so  direct,  that  she 
resolved  to  interrogate  one  of  the  most  influ- 
ential ministers  of  the  court  upon  the  subject. 
He,  thinking  in  some  degree  to  evade  the  ques- 
tion, replied  that  the  courier  had  come  simply 
to  inform  Anne  of  Austria  that  the  Queen  of 


126  Louis  XIV.  [1659. 

Movements  of  Mazarin. 

Spain  had  given  birth  to  a  son.     This  reveal- 
ed the  whole  to  Mary. 

In  the  mean  time,  arrangements  were  made 
for  Cardinal  Mazarin  to  meet  the  Spanish 
minister  on  the  frontiers  of  the  two  kingdoms 
to  negotiate  for  the  Spanish  marriage.  The 
cardinal,  fully  convinced  that  now  it  would  be 
impossible  to  secure  the  hand  of  the  king  for 
his  niece  Mary,  and  anxious  to  convince  the 
queen  that  he  was  heartily  engaged  in  promo- 
ting the  Spanish  alliance,  ordered  Mary  im- 
mediately to  withdraw  from  the  court,  and  re- 
tire to  Brouage.  This  was  a  fortified  town  on 
the  sea-coast  many  leagues  from  Paris.  The 
king  heard  of  the  arrangement,  and,  forbidding 
the  departure  of  Mary  from  the  court,  hasten- 
ed to  the  cardinal  demanding  an  explanation. 
Mazarin  informed  him  that  the  Infanta  of 
Spain  would  be  very  indignant  should  she 
learn  that,  while  he  was  making  application  for 
her  hand,  he  was  retaining  near  him  one  whom 
he  had  long  treated  with  the  most  devoted  and 
affectionate  attentions ;  that  her  father,  Philip 
IV.,  would  be  disgusted ;  that  there  would  be 
a  probable  rupture  of  the  negotiations;  and 
that  the  desolating  war  between  France  and 
Spain  would  continue. 


1659.]    MARRIAGE  OF  THE  KING.        127 

Power  of  the  cardinal.  Mary  exiled  from  the  court. 

Louis  declared  that  he  should  not  allow  his 
pleasure  to  be  disturbed  by  such  considerations. 
Roused  by  opposition,  he  went  so  far  as  to  say 
that  he  was  quite  ready  to  carry  on  the  war 
with  Spain  if  that  power  so  wished ;  that  the 
war  would  afford  him  an  opportunity  to  ac- 
quire glory  in  the  eyes  of  his  countrymen,  and 
in  that  case  he  would  marry  Mary  Mancini. 

But  the  cardinal  was  fully  conscious  that 
neither  the  queen  nor  France  would  now  sub- 
mit to  such  an  arrangement.  lie  had  with 
great  skill  retained  his  attitude  of  command 
over  the  young  monarch,  holding  his  purse 
and  governing  the  realm,  while  the  boy-king 
amused  himself  as  a  ballet-dancer  and  a  play- 
actor. The  cardinal  remained  inexorable.  It 
is  said  that  the  king  wept  in  the  excess  of  his 
chagrin  as  he  felt  compelled  to  yield  to  the 
representations  of  his  domineering  minister. 
As  he  unfolded  to  him  the  miseries  which 
would  be  inflicted,  not  only  upon  the  kingdom, 
but  upon  the  court,  should  the  desolating  and 
expensive  war  be  protracted,  the  king  threw 
himself  upon  a  sofa,  and  buried  his  face  in  his 
hands  in  silent  despair.  It  was  decided  that 
Mary  should  be  exiled  from  the  court. 

The  king,  thwarted,  vexed,  wretched,  repair- 


128  Louis  XIV.  [1659. 

Mary's  parting  with  the  king. 

ed  to  the  cabinet  of  his  mother.  They  con- 
versed for  an  hour  together.  As  they  retired 
from  the  cabinet,  Madame  de  Motteville  says, 
"the  eyes  of  both  were  red  with  weeping.  The 
orders  were  immediately  issued  for  Mary's  de- 
parture. She  was  to  go  with  an  elder  sister 
and  her  governess.  The  morrow  came;  the 
carriage  was  at  the  door.  Mary,  having  taken 
leave  of  the  queen,  repaired  to  the  apartment 
of  Louis  to  bid  him  adieu.  She  found  him 
deluged  in  tears.  Summoning  all  her  resolu- 
tion to  maintain  self-control,  she  held  out  her 
trembling  hand,  and  said  to  him  reproach- 
fully, '  Sire,  you  are  a  king ;  you  weep ;  and 
yet  1  go.' " 

The  king  uttered  not  a  word,  but,  burying 
his  face  in  his  hands  upon  the  table,  sobbed 
aloud.  Mary  saw  that  it  was  all  over  with 
her;  that  there  was  no  longer  any  hope.  With- 
out speaking  a  word,  she  descended  the  stairs 
to  her  carriage.  The  king  silently  followed 
her,  and  stood  by  the  coach  door.  She  took 
her  seat  with  her  companions,  and,  without  the 
interchange  of  a  word  or  a  sign,  the  carriage 
drove  away.  Louis  remained  upon  the  spot 
until  it  disappeared  from  sight 

The  Isle  of  Pheasants,  a  small  Spanish  isl- 


1652.]   MARRIAGE  OF  THE  KING.        131 

The  Isle  of  Pheasants.  Interview  of  Louis  -with  Mary. 

and  in  the  Bidassoa,  a  boundary  river  between 
France  and  Spain,  was  fixed  upon  as  the  ren- 
dezvous for  the  contracting  parties  for  the 
royal  marriage.  Four  days  after  the  exile  of 
Mary,  the  king  and  court,  with  a  magnificent 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  retinue,  set  out  for  the 
island.  The  king  insisted,  notwithstanding  the 
vehement  remonstrances  of  the  queen,  upon 
visiting  Mary  Mancini  on  the  journey.  As 
the  splendid  cortege  passed  through  the  streets 
of  Paris,  the  whole  population  was  on  the  pave- 
ment, shouting  a  thousand  blessings  on  the  head 
of  their  young  king. 

Mary  Mancini  had  received  orders  from  the 
queen  to  proceed  with  her  sister  to  Saint  Jean 
d' Angely,  where,  upon  the  passage  of  the  court, 
she  was  to  have  an  interview  with  the  king. 
"  Her  interview/'  writes  Miss  Pardoe,  "  was, 
however,  a  bitter  one.  Divided  between  van- 
ity and  affection,  Louis  was  at  once  less  firm 
and  less  self-possessed  than  Mary.  He  wept 
bitterly,  and  bewailed  the  fetters  by  which  he 
was  shackled.  But  as  he  remarked  the  change 
which  nights  of  watching  and  of  tears  had 
made  in  her  appearance,  he  felt  half  consoled. 
The  only  result  of  this  meeting  was  to  harrow 
the  heart  of  the  poor  victim  of  political  expe- 


132  Louis  XIV.  [1659. 

Negotiations  with  Spain. 

diency,  and  to  prove  to  her  upon  how  unstable 
a  foundation  she  had  built  her  superstructure 
of  hope."* 

From  Saint  Jean  d'Angely  the  court  pro- 
ceeded, by  way  of  Bordeaux,  to  Toulouse. 
Here  they  awaited  the  conclusion  of  the  treaty. 
The  negotiation  was  tedious,  as  each  party  was 
anxious  to  gain  all  that  was  possible  from  the 
other.  Many  questions  of  national  moment 
and  pride  were  involved.  At  length  the  con- 
ference was  amicably  concluded.  The  king 
agreed  to  pardon  the  Prince  of  Conde',  and  re- 
store to  him  all  his  honors;  and  the  Infanta 
Maria  Theresa  renounced  for  herself  and  her 
descendants  all  claim  to  the  inheritance  of  her 
parents.  She  was  to  receive  as  a  dowry  five 
hundred  thousand  golden  crowns.  There  were 
several  other  articles  included  in  the  treaty 
which  have  now  ceased  to  be  of  any  interest 

Much  surprise  was  soon  excited  in  the  court 
of  Louis  XIV.  by  the  intimation  that  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  must  be  postponed  until  the 
spring.  Philip  IY.  stated  that  his  infirm  health 
would  not  allow  him  to  take  so  long  a  journey 
in  the  inclement  weather  of  winter.  Louis 
XIY.  had  never  yet  seen  his  affianced  bride. 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France,  vol.  ii.,  p.  23,  24. 


1660.]   MAKRIAGE   OF  THE  KING.        133 

Marriage  preparations  according  to  Spanish  etiquette. 

"We  do  not  learn  that  he  was  at  all  annoyed  T"/ 
the  delay.  The  intervening  weeks  were  pass- 
ed in  journeyings  and  a  round  of  amusements. 
Early  in  May,  1660,  the  king  returned  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  Isle  of  Pheasants,  where  he  was 
to  meet  the  King  of  Spain  and  Maria  Theresa. 

The  most  magnificent  preparations  had  been 
made  at  the  Isle  of  Pheasants  for  the  interview 
between  the  two  courts  and  the  royal  nuptials. 
Bridges  were  constructed  to  the  island  from 
both  the  French  and  Spanish  sides  of  the  river. 
These  bridges  were  covered,  and  so  decorated 
as  to  present  the  aspect  of  beautiful  galleries. 
Upon  the  island  a  palace  was  erected,  consist- 
ing of  one  immense  and  gorgeous  apartment, 
with  lateral  chambers  and  dressing  -  rooms. 
This  apartment  was  carpeted,  and  furnished 
with  all  the  splendor  which  the  combined  mon- 
archies of  France  and  Spain  could  command. 

Two  doors,  directly  opposite  each  other,  en- 
abled the  two  courts  to  enter  simultaneously. 
A  straight  line  across  the  centre  of  the  room 
divided  it  into  two  portions,  one  half  of  which 
was  regarded  as  French,  and  the  other  as  Span- 
ish territory.  The  Spanish  court  took  up  its 
residence  at  Fontarabia,  on  the  eastern  or  Span- 
ish bank  of  the  river.  Louis  and  his  court  oc 


134  Louis  XIV.  L1660. 

Appearance  of  the  Infanta. 

cupied  Saint  Jean  de  Luz,  on  the  French  or 
western  side  of  the  stream. 

There  are  many  exactions  of  court  etiquette 
which  to  republican  eyes  seem  extremely  irra- 
tional and  foolish.  Louis  could  not  cross  the 
river  to  take  his  Spanish  bride,  neither  could 
Maria  Theresa  cross  the  stream  to  be  married 
on  French  soil;  therefore  Don  Luis  de  Haro, 
as  the  proxy  of  Louis  XIV.,  having  Jhe  French 
Bishop  of  Frejus  as  his  witness,  was  married  to 
Maria  Theresa  in  the  church  at  Fontarabia. 
The  ceremony  was  conducted  with  the  most 
punctilious  observance  of  the  stately  forms  of 
Spanish  etiquette. 

Madame  de  Motteville  gives  the  following 
account  of  the  appearance  of  the  bride : 

"  The  Infanta  is  short,  but  well  made.  We 
admired  the  extreme  fairness  of  her  complex- 
ion. The  blue  eyes  appeared  to  us  to  be  fine, 
and  charmed  us  by  their  softness  and  brillian- 
cy. We  celebrated  the  beauty  of  her  mouth, 
and  of  her  somewhat  full  and  roseate  lips.  The 
outline  of  her  face  is  long,  but,  being  rounded 
at  the  chin,  pleased  us.  Her  cheeks,  rather 
large,  but  handsome,  had  their  share  of  our 
praise.  Her  hair,  of  a  very  light  auburn,  ac- 
corded admirably  with  her  fine  complexion." 


1660.]   MAKKIAGE   OF  THE  KING. 


Interview  of  Anne  of  Austria  and  her  brother. 

The  Infanta  was  dressed  in  white  satin,  or- 
namented with  small  bows  of  silver  serge.  She 
wore  a  large  number  of  brilliant  gems,  and  her 
head  was  decorated  with  a  mass  of  false  hair. 
The  first  lady  of  her  household  bore  her  train. 

During  the  ceremony  Philip  IV.  stood  be- 
tween his  daughter  and  the  proxy  of  Louis. 
The  princess  did  not  present  her  hand  to  Don 
Luis,  nor  did  he  present  to  her  the  nuptial  ring. 
At  the  close  of  the  ceremony  tlie  father  em- 
braced his  child,  and  silently  the  gorgeous  train 
swept  from  the  church. 

The  next  day  Anne  of  Austria,  accompanied 
by  her  second  son,  then  Duke  of  Orleans,  re- 
paired to  the  Isle  of  Pheasants  to  meet  her 
brother,  Philip  IV.,  and  the  royal  bride.  Court 
etiquette  did  not  yet  allow  Louis  XIV.  to  have 
an  interview  with  the  lady  to  whom  he  was  al- 
ready married  by  proxy.  He,  however,  sent  to 
his  young  queen,  by  one  of  his  nobles,  a  pres- 
ent of  some  very  fine  jewels. 

Though  Philip  IV.  was  the  brother  of  Anne 
of  Austria,  and  though  they  had  not  met  for 
many  years,  Spanish  etiquette  would  not  al- 
low any  demonstrations  of  tenderness.  The  in- 
terview was  chillingly  stately  and  dignified. 
Anne,  for  a  moment  forgetting  the  icy  re- 


136  Louis  XIV  [1660. 

Meeting  of  Louie  XIV.  and  his  bride. 

straints  of  the  gourt,  in  sisterly  love  endeav- 
ored to  salute  her  brother  on  the  cheek.  The 
Spanish  king  held  back  his  head,  rejecting  the 
proffered  fondness.  The  young  bride  threw 
herself  upon  her  knees,  requesting  permission 
to  kiss  the  hand  of  Anne  of  Austria.  The 
queen-mother  lifted  her  from  the  floor,  and  ten- 
derly embraced  her. 

After  some  time  had  elapsed,  Cardinal  Maz- 
arin  entered,  of  course  from  the  French  side, 
and,  advancing  to  their  majesties,  informed 
them  that  there  was  a  distinguished  stranger 
at  the  door  who  begged  permission  to  enter. 
Anne  and  Philip  affected  to  hold  a  brief  con- 
ference upon  the  subject,  when-they  gave  their 
consent  for  his  admission. 

Louis  XI Y.  entered  in  regal  attire  to  see  for 
the  first  time,  and  to  be  seen  for  the  first  time 
by,  his  bride.  As  he  approached,  Maria  There- 
sa fixed  her  eyes  upon  him,  and  blushed  deep- 
ly. Philip  IY.  smiled  graciously,  and  said  au- 
dibly to  Anne  of  Austria,  "I  have  a  very  hand- 
some son-in-law." 

As  we  have  mentioned,  there  was  a  line  sep- 
arating the  Spanish  half  of  the  room  from  the 
French  half.  Louis  advanced  to  the  centre 
of  the  apartment,  and  kneeled  upon  a  cushion 


1660.]  MARKIAGE  OF  THE  KING.       137 


Tedious  ceremonies. 


which  had  been  provided  for  him  there.  The 
King  of  Spain  kneeled  also  upon  a  similar 
cushion.  Cardinal  Mazarin  then  brought  in  a 
Bible,  with  a  cross  upon  the  volume.  One  of 
the  high  Spanish  church  officials  did  the  same 
on  his  side.  The  treaty  of  peace  was  then 
read  simultaneously  to  Philip  IV.  in  Spanish, 
to  Louis  XIV.  in  French.  At  its  conclusion, 
they  each  placed  their  hands  upon  the  Bible, 
and  took  a  solemn  oath  to  observe  its  stipula- 
tions. During  this  scene  one  sovereign  was 
ceremonially  in  France,  and  the  other  in  Spain. 
Having  taken  the  oath,  they  rose,  and  in  stately 
strides  advanced  to  the  frontier  line.  Here  they 
cordially  embraced  each  other. 

At  the  conclusion  of  sundry  other  ceremo- 
nies, some  tedious,  some  imposing,  the  two 
courts  returned  each  to  its  own  side  of  the 
river.  Maria  Theresa  accompanied  her  father. 
The  next  morning  the  queen-mother,  with  a 
suitable  retinue,  returned  to  the  island  palace, 
where  she  met  again  the  bride  of  her  son,  and 
conducted  her  to  her  own  apartments  at  Saint 
Jean  de  Luz.  Two  days  elapsed,  while  prepa- 
rations were  made  again  to  solemnize  the  mar- 
riage beneath  the  skies  of  France. 

A  platform  was  constructed,  richly  carpeted, 


138  Louis  XI V.  [1660. 

Gorgeous  entrance  into  the  capital. 

from  the  residence  of  Anne  of  Austria  to  the 
church.  The  young  maiden-queen  was  robed 
in  French  attire  for  this  repetition  of  the  nup- 
tial ceremony.  She  wore  a  royal  mantle  of 
violet-colored  velvet,  sprinkled  with  fleur  de 
lis,  over  a  white  dress.  A  queenly  crown  was 
upon  her  brow.  Her  gorgeous  train  was  borne 
by  three  of  the  most  distinguished  ladies  of 
France.  At  the  conclusion  of  this  ceremony 
Louis  XIV.  received  his  bride.  The  king  was 
then  in  the  twenty-second  year  of  his  age. 

Until  within  a  week  of  the  royal  marriage, 
the  king  wrote  frequently  to  Mary  Mancini. 
.Then  the  correspondence  was  suddenly  drop- 
ped. The  king  never  after  seemed  to  manifest 
any  interest  in  her  fate. 

After  a  few  days  of  festivity,  the  court  com- 
menced, on  the  15th  of  June,  its  leisurely  re- 
turn toward  Paris.  Having  reached  Yincennes, 
the  illustrious  cortege  tarried  for  several  days 
in  the  royal  chateau  there,  until  preparations 
could  be  completed  for  a  magnificent  entrance 
into  the  capital.  The  gorgeous  spectacle  took 
place  on  the  26th  of  August,  1660.  For  many 
weeks  the  saloons  of  the  Louvre  and  the  Tuil- 
eries  resounded  with  unintermitted  revelry. 

cruelly  the  queen-mother  sent  a  mes* 


1660.]   MARRIAGE  OF  THE  KING.        141 

Cruelty  of  the  queen-mother.  The  Prince  Colonna. 

sage  to  Mary  Mancini,  expressing  her  regret 
that  she  could  not  be  present  at  the  royal  nup- 
tials, and  requiring  her  to  come  immediately 
to  be  present  at  the  entre'e  of  the  king  and 
queen  into  the  metropolis,  and  to  share  in  the 
festivities  of  the  palace.  The  order  came  to 
the  crushed  and  bleeding  heart  of  Mary  like  a 
death-summons.  Accompanied  by  her  two  sis- 
ters, and  with  suitable  attendants,  she  set  forth 
on  her  sad  journey.  All  France  was  rejoicing 
over  the  royal  marriage,  and  as  her  carriage 
rapidly  approached  Paris,  every  hour  pierced 
her  heart  with  a  new  pang.  With  all  the  for- 
titude she  could  summon,  she  could  not  retain 
the  roseate  glow  of  health  and  happiness.  Her 
cheeks  were  pale  and  emaciate,  and  her  forced 
smile  only  proclaimed  more  loudly  the  grief 
which  was  consuming  her  heart.  She  alighted 
at  the  new  palace  of  her  uncle,  Cardinal  Maz- 
arin,  and  hastily  retired  to  her  apartment. 

She  had  scarcely  entered  her  room  ere  a  let- 
ter from  the  cardinal  was  presented  to  her,  so- 
liciting her  hand  for  Prince  Colonna,  one  of  the 
most  illustrious  nobles  in  wealth  and  rank  in 
Europe.  This  marriage  would  give  her  posi- 
tion scarcely  second  to  that  of  any  lady  not 
seated  on  a  throne.  The  ambitious  cardinal, 


142  Louis  XIV.  [1660. 

Mary  is  presented  to  the  young  Queen  of  France. 

not  fully  understanding  the  delicate  mechan- 
ism of  a  young  lady's  heart,  had  negotiated 
this  matter, -hoping  thus  to  rescue  his  niece 
from  the  humiliating  sympathy  of  the  cour- 
tiers. But  the  noble  nature  of  Mary  recoiled 
from  such  a  rescue.  She  had  instinctively  re- 
solved that  in  her  own  person,  and  by  her  own 
individual  force  of  character,  however  great 
might  be  her  sufferings,  she  would  maintain 
her  womanly  dignity.  Consequently,  to  the 
surprise  of  the  cardinal,  she  returned  a  cold 
and  positive  refusal  to  the  proposition. 

Soon  after  this  she  received  a  communica- 
tion to  repair  to  the  palace  of  Fontainebleau, 
there  to  be  presented  to  the  young  queen,  with 
her  two  sisters,  and  many  others  of  the  notabil- 
ities of  the  realm.  The  presentation  was  to 
take  place  on  the  ensuing  Sunday,  immediately 
after  high  mass.  Her  elder  sister,  the  Countess 

D  ' 

de  Soissons,  assisted  by  the  Princess  de  Conti, 
was  to  preside  at  the  ceremony. 

Mary  had  just  entered  the  audience-hall,  and 
was  approaching  the  queen  to  be  presented, 
when  Louis  XIV.  entered  the  apartment  to  in- 
vite Maria  Theresa  to  accompany  him  in  a  walk 
in  the  park.  Just  at  that  moment  Madame  de 
Soissons  was  presenting  Mademoiselle  Mancini. 


1660.J   MA n it i AGE  OF   THE  K i N G.        143 


Misery  of  Mary  Mancini. 


The  king  heard  the  name  which  had  once  been 
apparently  so  dear  to  him.  Without  the  slight- 
est emotion  or  the  least  sign  of  recognition,  he 
bowed,  as  if  in  the  presence  of  a  perfect  stran- 
ger, and  inquired  of  Mary  respecting  her  uncle 
the  cardinal.  He  then  exchanged  a  few  cour- 
teous words  with  the  other  ladies  in  the  room 
with  the  same  assumed  or  real  indifference,  and 
invited  all  the  ladies  of  the  circle  to  attend  the 
queen  in  a  hunt  in  which  she  was  about  to  en- 
gage. 

It  seemed  as  if  the  fates  had  combined  to 
expose  poor  Mary  to  every  species  of  mental 
torture.  Her  brain  reeled,  and,  scarcely  able 
to  retain  her  footing,  she  withdrew  a  little 
apart  to  rally  her  disordered  senses.  Unable 
any  longer  to  endure  these  sufferings,  -she 
begged  to  be  excused  from  attending  the  hunt, 
alleging  that  the  feeble  health  of  her  uncle  the 
cardinal  rendered  it  necessary  for  her  to  return 
to  Paris.  Her  carriage  was  ordered  for  her 
departure,  but,  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
chateau,  she  encountered  the  whole  hunting- 
party,  filling  the  road  with  its  splendor.  Her 
carriage  was  compelled  to  stop,  that  the  king 
and  queen  and  royal  train  might  pass. 

"And  thus  again  she  saw  Louis,  who  pre* 


144  Louis  XIV. 


Mary  concludes  to  accept  the  hand  of  Prince  Colonna. 

ceded  the  cavalcade  on  horseback,  surrounded 
by  the  nobles  of  his  court.  The  heart  of  Mary 
throbbed  almost  to  bursting.  It  was  impossi- 
ble that  the  king  should  not  recognize  the  liv- 
ery of  her  uncle  —  the  carriage  in  which  he  had 
so  often  been  seated  by  her  side  ;  he  would  not, 
he  could  not  pass  her  by  without  one  word. 
She  deceived  herself.  His  majesty  was  laugh- 
ing at  some  merry  tale,  by  which  he  was  so 
much  engrossed  that  he  rode  on  without  even 
bestowing  a  look  upon  the  gilded  coach  and 
its  heart-broken  occupant."* 

Mary  returned  to  Paris  pondering  deeply 
her  awful  destiny.  She  saw  that  she  was  fated 
to  meet  continually  the  king  and  queen  in  their 
festivities  ;  that  with  a  broken  heart  she  must 
feign  gayety  and  smiles  ;  that  by  lingering  tor- 
ture she  must  sink  into  the  grave.  There  was 
no  refuge  for  her  but  to  escape  from  Paris  and 
from  the  court.  Apparently  the  only  way  to 
accomplish  this  was  to  accept  the  proffered 
hand  of  the  Prince  Colonna,  who  would  re- 
move her  from  Paris  to  Home. 

The  next  morning,  pale  and  tearless,  Mary 
drove  to  Vincennes,  where  Cardinal  Mazarin 
then  was,  and  informed  him  that  she  was  ready 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France,  vol.  ii.,  p.  48. 


1—10 


1660.]   MARRIAGE  OF  THE  KING.        147 


Marriage  of  Mary  Mancini. 


to  marry  Prince  Colonna,  provided  the  marriage 
could  take  place  immediately,  and  that  the  car- 
dinal would,  without  an  hour's  delay,  write  to 
the  king  to  obtain  his  consent.  The  cardinal 
was  rejoiced,  and  proceeded  with  energy.  The 
king,  without  one  kind  word,  gave  his  cold  and 
indifferent  consent.  In  accordance  with  the 
claims  of  etiquette,  he  sent  her  some  valuable 
gifts,  which  she  did  not  dare  to  decline. 

"  Mary  walked  to  the  altar,"  says  Miss  Par- 
doe,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  many  of 
these  details,  "as  she  would  have  walked  to 
the  scaffold,  carrying  with  her  an  annual  dow- 
er of  one  hundred  thousand  livres,  and  perjur- 
ing herself  by  vows  which  she  could  not  fulfill. 
Her  after  career  we  dare  not  trace.  Suffice  it 
that  the  ardent  and  enthusiastic  spirit  which 
would,  had  she  been  fated  to  happiness,  have 
made  her  memory  a  triumph  for  her  sex,  em- 
bittered by  falsehood,  wrong,  and  treachery, 
involved  her  in  errors  over  which  both  charity 
and  propriety  oblige  us  to  draw  a  veil ;  and  if 
all  Europe  rang  with  the  enormity  of  her  ex- 
cesses, much  of  their  origin  may  safely  be 
traced  to  those  who,  after  wringing  her  heart, 
trampled  it  in  the  dust  beneath  their  feet." 

A  few  days  after  the  scenes  of  presentation 


148  Louis  XIY.  [1653. 

Character  of  Louis  XIV.  and  Maria  Theresa. 

at  Fontainebleau,  the  royal  pair  made  their 
triumphal  entry  into  Paris.  In  those  days  of 
feudal  oppression  and  ignorance,  the  masses 
looked  up  to  kings  and  queens  with  a  degree 
of  superstitious  reverence  which,  in  our  en- 
lightened land,  seems  almost  inconceivable. 
Louis  XIV.  was  a  heartless,  selfish,  pleasure- 
loving  young  man  of  twenty -one,  who  had 
never  in  his  life  done  any  thing  to  merit  the 
especial  esteem  of  any  one.  Maria  Theresa 
was  an  amiable  and  pretty  girl,  who  never 
dreamed  that  she  had  any  other  function  than 
to  indulge  in  luxuries  at  the  expense  of  others. 
Millions  were  to  be  impoverished  that  she  and 
her  husband  might  pass  through  life  reveling 
in  luxury  and  charioted  in  splendor.  One  can 
not  contemplate  such  a  state  of  things  without 
being  agitated  by  the  conflicting  emotions  of 
pity  for  such  folly  and  indignation  for  such 
outrages.  Louis  and  Maria  Theresa  were  re- 
ceived by  the  populace  of  Paris  with  as  much 
reverence  and  enthusiasm  as  if  they  had  been 
angels  descending  from  heaven,  fraught  with 
every  blessing. 

Scarcely  had  the  morning  dawned  ere  the 
whole  city  was  in  commotion.  Tne  streets 
were  thronged  with  countless  thousands  in  the 


1660.]   MAKRIAGE  or   THE  KING.        14:9 


Magnificent  ceremonies. 


most  brilliant  gala  dresses.  Triumphal  arches 
spanned  the  thoroughfares  through  which  the 
royal  procession  was  to  pass.  Garlands  of  flow- 
ers and  hangings  of  brilliantly  colored  tapestry 
concealed  the  fronts  of  the  houses  from  view. 
The  pavements  were  strewn  with  flowers  and 
sweet-scented  herbs,  over  which  the  wheels  of 
the  carriages  and  the  hoofs  of  the  horses  would 
pass  without  noise.  At  the  barrier  a  gorgeous 
throne  was  erected.  Here  the  young  queen 
was  seated  in  royal  state,  to  receive  the  hom- 
age of  the  several  distinguished  officers  of  the 
city  and  of  the  realm.  At  the  close  of  these 
ceremonies,  which  were  rendered  as  imposing 
as  civil  and  ecclesiastical  pomp  could  create, 
the  apparently  interminable  procession  of  car- 
riages, and  horsemen,  and  footmen,  with  the 
most  dazzling  adornments  of  caparisons,  and 
uniforms,  and  banners,  with  resounding  music, 
and  shouts  of  acclaim  which  seemed  to  rend 
the  skies,  commenced  its  entrance  into  the  city. 
An  antique  car  had  been  constructed,  of 
massive  and  picturesque  proportions,  embla- 
zoned with  gold.  Upon  this  car  the  young 
queen  was  seated.  She  was,  in  reality,  very 
beautiful,  but  in  this  hour  of  triumph,  with 
flushed  cheek  and  sparkling  eye,  robed  in  the 


150  Louis  XIV.  [1660. 

Festivities  con  tinned. 

richest  attire,  brilliant  with  gems,  and  so  con- 
spicuously enthroned  as  to  be  visible  to  every 
eye,  she  presented  an  aspect  of  almost  celestial 
loveliness. 

The  young  king  rode  by  her  side,  magnifi- 
cently mounted.  His  garments  of  velvet,  rich- 
ly embroidered  with  gold  and  jewels,  had  been 
prepared  for  the  occasion  at  an  expense  of  con- 
siderably more  than  a  million  of  dollars.  The 
splendors  of  this  gala-day  were  never  forgotten 
by  those  who  witnessed  them. 

For  succeeding  weeks  and  months  the  court 
luxuriated  in  one  continued  round  of  gayety 
and  extravagance. ,  Night  after  night  the  mag- 
nificent saloons  of  the  Louvre  and  the  Tuileries 
resounded  with  music,  while  proud  lords  and 
high-born  dames  trod  the  floors  in  the  mazy 
dance,  and  inflamed  their  passions  with  the 
most  costly  wines.  It  can  not  be  denied  that 
a  man  who  is  trained  from  infancy  amidst  such 
scenes  could  acquire  elegance  of  manner  which 
those  engrossed  in  the  useful  and  ennobling 
employments  of  life  rarely  attain.  Neither 
can  it  be  denied  that  this  is  as  poor  a  school 
as  can  possibly  be  imagined  to  prepare  one 
wisely  to  administer  the  affairs  of  a  nation  of 
twenty  millions  of  people.  In  f act,  Louis  XIV. 


1660.]   MAKEIAGE   OF  THE  KING.        151 


Revolting  state  of  society. 


never  dreamed  of  consulting  the  interests  of  the 
people.  It  was  his  sole  object  to  aggrandize 
himself  by  promoting  the  splendor,  the  power, 
and  the  glory  of  the  monarchy. 

One  does  well  to  be  angry  when  he  reflects 
that,  to  maintain  this  reckless  and  utterly  use- 
less extravagance  of  the  king  and  the  court, 
the  millions  of  the  peasantry  of  France  were 
compelled  to  live  in  mud  hovels,  to  wear  the 
coarsest  garb,  to  eat  the  plainest  food,  while 
their  wives  and  their  daughters  toiled  barefoot- 
ed in  the  fields.  One  would  think  that  guilty 
consciences  would  often  be  appalled  by  the 
announcement,  "  Know  thou  that  for  all  these 
things  God  will  bring  thee  into  judgment?" 

Though  this  revolting  state  of  society  '.7as 
the  slow  growth  of  time,  and  though  no  one 
there  could  have  regarded  this  aristocratic  op- 
pression as  it  is  now  estimated  in  the  clearer 
light  of  the  present  day,  still  these  outrages, 
inflicted  by  the  strong  upon  the  weak,  by  the 
rich  upon  the  poor,  merit  the  unmitigated  con- 
demnation of  men,  as  they  have  ever  incurred 
the  denunciations  of  God. 

Cardinal  Mazarin,  more  than  any  other  man 
in  France,  was  accountable  for  the  enormous 
luxury  of  the  court,  and  the  squalid  misery  of 


152  Louis  XI"\.  [1660. 

Mazarin  guilty  of  great  extortion.  Fatal  accident 

the  people.  He  knew  better.  He  was  pro- 
fessedly a  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  yet  a 
more  thorough  worldling  could  hardly  have 
been  in  Christian  or  in  pagan  lands.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  gigantic  robbers  of  the  poor 
of  which  history  gives  any  mention. 

In  the  midst  of  these  festivities,  Mazarin  de- 
cided to  invite  the  court  to  a  grand  ballet, 
which  should  transcend  in  splendor  etery  thing 
which  Paris  had  witnessed  before.  To  deco- 
rate the  saloons,  a  large  amount  of  costly  dra- 
peries were  manufactured  at  Milan.  In  ar- 
ranging these  tapestries,  by  some  accident  they 
took  fire.  The  flames  spread  rapidly,  utterly  • 
destroying  the  room,  with  its  paintings  and 
its  magnificently  frescoed  roof.  The  fire  was 
eventually  extinguished,  but  the  shock  was  a 
death-blow  to  the  cardinal.  He  was  then  in 
feeble  health.  His  attendants  conveyed  him 
from  the  blazing  room  to  the  Chateau  Mazarin. 

The  terror  of  the  scene  so  aggravated  the 
maladies  from  which  the  cardinal  had  for  a 
long  time  suffered,  that  he  was  prostrated  upon 
his  bed,  and  it  soon  became  evident  that  his 
dying  hour  was  near  at  hand.  There  are  many 
indications  that  the  haughty  cardinal  was  tor- 
tured by  the  pangs  of  remorse.  He  was 


16GO.]  MARRIAGE  OF  THE  K.ING.       153 


Sufferiugs  of  the  cardinal. 


erally  silent,  though  extremely  dejected.  His 
body  was  subjected  to  the  most  extraordinary 
convulsions,  while  inaudible  murmurs  escaped 
his  lips. 

Count  de  Brienne,  in  his  memoirs,  states 
that,  on  one  occasion,  he  entered  the  chamber 
of  the  cardinal  on  tiptoe,  his  valet  informing 
him  that  his  eminence  was  asleep.  He  found 
Mazarin  bolstered  in  an  arm-chair  before  the 
fire,  apparently  in  a  profound  slumber,  "  and 
yet,"  writes  the  count, "  his  body  rocked  to  and 
fro  with  the  greatest  rapidity,  from  the  back 
of  his  chair  to  his  knees,  now  swinging  to  the 
right,  and  again  to  the  left.  These  movements 
of  the  sufferer  were  as  regular  and  rapid  as 
the  vibrations  of  the  pendulum  of  a  clock.  At 
the  same  time  inarticulate  murmurs  escaped 
Ins  lips." 

The  count,  much  moved  by  the  wretched 
spectacle,  summoned  the  attendant,  and  awoke 
the  cardinal.  Mazarin,  in  awaking,  betrayed 
that  troubled  state  of  soul  which  had  thus  agi- 
tated his  body.  In  most  melancholy  tones,  he 
said, 

"  My  physician,  M.  Gue*naud,  has  informed 
me  that  I  can  live  but  a  few  days." 

Count  de  Brienne,  wishing  to  console  him, 


154  Louis  XIV.  [1660. 

Oppressive  measures  of  the  cardinal.  Confession  of  Mazariu. 

said,  "  But  M.  Guenaud  is  not  omniscient.  He 
may  be  deceived." 

The  cardinal,  uttering  a  heavy  sigh,  exclaim- 
ed, "  Ah !  M.  Guenaud  well  understands  his 
trade." 

Mazarin,  as  we  have  mentioned,  had  ac- 
quired enormous  wealth.  The  resources  of  the 
kingdom  had  been  in  his  hands.  The  poor  had 
been  oppressed  by  as  terrible  a  system  of  tax- 
ation as  human  nature  could  endure  and  live. 
With  the  sums  thus  extorted,  he  had  not  only 
maintained  the  army,  and  supported  the  vo- 
luptuousness of  the  court,  but  he  had  also  ap- 
propriated vast  sums,  without  the  slightest  right 
to  do  so,  to  his  own  private  enrichment.  He 
was  now  dying.  The  thought  of  going  to  the 
bar  of  God  with  his  hands  full  of  this  stolen 
gold  tortured  him.  Constrained  by  the  an- 
guish of  a  death-bed,  he  sent  for  a  Theatine 
monk  to  act  as  his  confessor,  and  to  administer, 
in  his  last  hours,  the  services  of  the  Church. 

The  virtuous  monk  was  quite  startled  when 
the  cardinal,  with  pale  and  trembling  lips,  in- 
formed him  that  he  had  accumulated  a  fortune 
of  over  forty  millions-  of  francs— $8,000,000. 
Mazarin  allowed  that  he  considered  it  a  sin 
that  he  had  by  such  means  accumulated  such 


1660.]    MAKKIAGE  OF  THE  KING.        155 


Advice  of  M.  Colbert. 


vast  wealth.  His  pious  confessor  boldly  de- 
clared that  the  cardinal  would  peril  his  eternal 
salvation  if  lie  did  not,  before  his  death,  make 
restitution  of  all  his  ill-gotten  gains,  reserving 
only  that  for  which  he  was  indebted  to  the 
bounty  of  the  king. 

The  dying  sinner,  trembling  in  view  of  the 
judgment,  replied  in  faltering   accents,  "  In 
that  case  I  must  relinquish  all.     I  have  re- 
ceived nothing  from   the   king.     My  family 
must  be  left  in  utter  beggary." 

The  confessor  was  deeply  moved  by  the  as- 
pect of  despair  presented  by  the  cardinal.  Em- 
barrassed by  the  difficulties  of  the  position,-he 
sent  for  a  distinguished  member  of  the  court, 
M.  Colbert,  to  confer  with  upon  the  situation. 

The  shrewd  courtier,  after  a  little  delibera- 
tion, suggested  that,  as  it  would  be  manifestly 
impossible  to  restore  the  money  to  the  differ- 
ent individuals,  scattered  all  over  the  realm, 
from  whom  it  had  been  gathered  in  the  ordi- 
nary collection  of  the  taxes,  the  cardinal  should 
make  a  transfer  of  it,  as  'a  donation,  to  the  sov- 
ereign. "  The  king,"  added  M.  Colbert, "  will, 
without  any  question,  annul  so  generous  an  act, 
and  restore  the  property  to  you.  It  will  then 
be  yours  by  royal  grant." 


156  Louis  XIV.  [1661. 

Suspense  of  the  cardinal.  His  property  restored. 

The  cardinal,  who  had  lived,  and  moved,  and 
had  his  being  in  the  midst  of  trickery  and  in- 
trigue, highly  approved  of  the  suggestion.  The 
papers  were  immediately  made  out,  transfer- 
ring the  property  to  the  king.  It  was  the  3d 
of  March,  1661.  Three  days  passed,  and  there 
was  no  response  of  rejection — no  recognition 
of  the  gift.  The  cardinal  was  terror-stricken. 
As  he  sat  bolstered  in  his  chair,  he  wrung  his 
hands  in  agony,  often  exclaiming,  "My  poor 
family !  my  poor  family !  they  will  be  left 
without  bread." 

At  the  close  of  the  third  day  M.  Colbert  en- 
tered the  dying  chamber  with  a  document  in 
his  hand,  announcing  that  the  king  had  re- 
stored to  the  cardinal  all  his  property,  authoriz- 
ing him  to  dispose  of  it  as  he  judged  to  be  best. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  that  this  trickery  could 
have  satisfied  the  conscience  of  the  cardinal. 
His  confessor  professed  to  be  satisfied,  and 
granted  the  dying  man  that  absolution  which 
he  had  previously  withheld.  Still  Mazarin 
was  extremely  reluctant  to  die.  He  dressed 
with  the  utmost  care;  painted  his  wrinkled 
brow  and  emaciate  cheeks,  and  resorted  to  all 
the  appliances  of  art  to  maintain  the  aspect  of 
youth  and  vigor.  But  death  could  not  thus  be 


1C61.]    MARKIAGE  OF  THE  KING.        157 


Death  of  Mazarin. 


His  immense  wealth. 


deceived.  The  destroying  angel  on  the  9th  of 
March  bore  his  spirit  away  to  the  judgment 
seat  of  Christ,  lie  died  in  the  Chateau  Maz- 
arin, at  the  age  of  fifty-two,  having  been  virtu- 
ally monarch  of  France  for  eighteen  years. 


O1IATKAU   MAZARIN. 


It  appeared  by  the  will  of  Mazarin  that  his 
property  was  vastly  greater  even  than  the  enor- 
mous sum  which  he  had  reluctantly  admitted. 
That  portion  of  it  which  might  be  included 
under  the  term  real  estate,  consisting  of  houses, 
lands,  etc.,  amounted  to  over  fifty  millions  of 
francs,  while  his  personal  effects,  embracing 
the  most  costly  furniture,  diamonds,  and  other 


158  Louis  XIV.  [1661. 

Legacies  of  Mazarin.  Views  of  Louis  XIV. 

jewels,  of  which  he  strictly  forbade  any  inven- 
tory to  be  taken,  amounted  to  many  millions 
more.  The  legacies  to  his  nieces  and  to  other 
aristocratic  friends  were  truly  princely.  To 
the  poor  he  left  a  miserable  pittance  amount- 
ing to  about  twelve  hundred  dollars. 

The  cardinal  was  a  heartless,  avaricious  man, 
of  but  little  ability,  and  yet  endowed  with  a 
very  considerable  degree  of  that  cunning  which 
sometimes  proves  to  be  temporarily  so  success- 
ful in  diplomatic  intrigues.  The  king  was 
probably  glad  to  be  rid  of  him,  for  he  could 
not  easily  throw  off  a  yoke  to  which  he  had 
been  habituated  from  childhood.  During  most 
of  the  cardinal's  illness  Louis  continued  his  us- 
ual round  of  feasting  and  dancing.  Upon  his 
death  he  manifested  no  grief.  It  seems  that 
he  had  previously  made  up  his  mind  no  longer 
to  be  troubled  by  a  prime  minister,  but  to  rule 
absolutely  by  his  own  will. 

Two  days  before  the  death  of  Mazarin,  when 
he  was  no  longer  capable  of  transacting  any 
business,  the  president  of  the  ecclesiastical  as- 
sembly inquired  of  the  king  "to  whom  lie 
must  hereafter  address  himself  on  questions  of 
public  business."  The  emphatic  and  laconic 
response  was,  "  To  myself? 


1661.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COURT.     159 

Influence  and  reputation  of  Mazarin. 


CHAPTER  V. 
FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COURT. 


MAZAEIN  was  exceedingly 
unpopular  both  with  the  court  and  the 
masses  of  the  people.  Haughty,  domineering, 
avaricious,  there  was  nothing  in  his  character 
to  win  the  kindly  regards  of  any  one.  His 
death  gave  occasion  to  almost  universal  rejoi- 
cing. Indeed,  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that 
the  king  repressed  the  unseemly  exhibition  of 
this  joy  on  the  part  of  the  court.  The  cardi- 
nal, as  we  have  mentioned,  had  been  for  many 
years  virtually  monarch  of  France.  He,  in 
the  name  of  the  king,  imposed  the  taxes,  ap- 
pointed the  ministry,  issued  all  orders,  and  re- 
ceived all  reports.  The  accountability  was  so 
entire  to  him  that  the  monarch,  immersed  in 
pleasure,  had  but  little  to  do  with  reference  to 
the  affairs  of  the  realm. 

Immediately  upon  the  death  of  Mazariu,  the 
king  summoned  to  his  presence  Tellier,  minis- 
ter of  War,  Lionne,  minister  of  State,  and 
Fouquet,  minister  of  the  Treasury.  He  in- 


160  Louis  XIV.  [16bj. 

Character  of  M.  Fouqnet 

formed  them  that  he  should  continue  them  in 
office,  but  that  henceforth  he  should  dispense 
with  the  services  of  a  prime  minister,  and  that 
they  would  be  responsible  to  him  alone.  The 
young  king  was  then  twenty-two  years  of  age. 
lie  was  very  poorly  educated,  had  hitherto  de- 
veloped no  force  of  character,  and  appeared  to 
all  to  be  simply  a  frivolous,  pompous,  self -con- 
ceited young  man  of  pleasure. 

Fouquet  had  held  the  keys  of  the  treasury. 
When  the  king  needed  money  he  applied  to 
him  for  a  supply.  The  almost  invariable  re- 
ply he  received  was, 

"  Sire,  the  treasury  is  empty,  but  his  emi- 
nence will  undoubtedly  advance  to  your  maj- 
esty a  loan." 

The  money  came,  the  king  little  cared  where 
from  while  reveling  in  luxury,  and  dancing 
and  flirting  with  the  beauties  who  crowded  his 
court. 

Fouquet  was  an  able  but  thoroughly  unprin- 
cipled man.  He  had  grown  enormously  rich 
by  robbing  the  treasury.  The  king  disliked 
him.  But  Fouquet  knew  that  the  king  could 
not  dispense  with  his  services.  He  was  a  mar- 
velously  efficient  financier,  and  well  knew  how 
to  wrench  gold  from  the  hands  of  the  starving 


1661.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COURT. 

Information  given  by  M.  Colbert. 

millions.  The  property  he  had  acquired  by 
fraud  was  so  great  that  he  often  outvied  the 
king  in  the  splendor  of  his  establishments. 
Conscious  of  his  power,  he  doubted  not  that 
he  should  still  be  able  to  hold  the  king,  in  a 
measure,  subject  to  his  control. 

Scarcely  had  Louis  returned  from  his  brief 
conference  with  his  ministers  to  his  cabinet  at 
the  Louvre,  ere  the  secretary  of  the  deceased 
cardinal,  M.  Colbert,  entered,  and  requested  a 
private  audience.  He  informed  the  king,  tc 
his  astonishment  and  inexpressible  delight, 
that  the  cardinal  had  concealed  fifteen  millions 
of  money  (three  millions  of  dollars)  in  addition 
to  the  sums  mentioned  in  his  will ;  that  it  was 
doubtless  his  intention  that  this  money  should 
immediately  replenish  the  utterly  exhausted 
treasury  of  his  majesty. 

The  king  was  overjoyed.  He  could  scarce- 
ly believe  the  intelligence.  Concealing  the 
tidings  from  Fouquet,  he  speedily  and  secretly 
recovered  the  money  from  the  several  places 
in  which  it  had  been  deposited.  Fifteen  mil- 
lions of  francs  would  be  a  large  sum  at  any 
time,  but  two  hundred  years  ago  it  was  worth 
three  or  four  times  as  much  as  now.  Fouquet 
was  utterly  bewildered  in  attempting  to  imag- 
l—ll 


162  Louis  XIV.  [1661. 

Appearance  of  Louis  XIV. 

ine  where  the  king  had  obtained  the  sums  he 
was  so  lavishly  expending. 

Louis  XIY.  by  nature  and  by  education  was 
excessively  fond  of  the  pomp  and  the  punctilios 
of  court  etiquette.  As  this  new  era  of  inde- 
pendence dawned  upon  him,  it  was  his  first 
and  most  anxious  object  to  regulate  even  to 
the  minutest  details  the  ceremonies  of  the 
court.  lie  was  of  middling  stature.  High- 
heeled  shoes  added  between  two  and  three 
inches  to  his  height.  His  hair  was  very  fine 
and  abundant,  and  he  wore  it  long,  in  masses 
of  ringlets  upon  his  shoulders.  Deep  blue 
eyes,  a  fair  complexion,  and  well  moulded  feat- 
ures formed  an  unusually  handsome  counte- 
nance. He  was  stately  in  his  movements, 
pompous  in  his  utterance,  and  every  word  of 
every  sentence  was  pronounced  slowly  and 
with  distinct  enunciation,  as  if  an  oracle  were 
giving  out  its  responses. 

There  was  no  resemblance  morally,  intel- 
lectually, or  physically  between  the  king  and 
his  only  brother  Philip.  They  did  not  love 
each  other.  During  their  whole  lives  there 
had  been  one  perpetual  struggle  on  the  part  of 
the  king  to  domineer  over  his  brother,  and  011 
the  part  of  Philip  to  resist  that  domination. 


1661.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COUKT.     163 

Charles  II.,  King  of  England,  and  family. 


Philip  was  gentle  in  disposition,  effeminate  in 
manners,  and,  though  a  voluptuary  in  his  tastes, 
a  man  of  chivalric  courage.  As  Duke  of  Or- 
leans he  had  large  wealth,  many  retainers,  and 
feudal  privileges,  which  invested  him  with  pow- 
er which  even  the  king  was  compelled  to  re- 
spect. 

Charles  II.  was  now  King  of  England.  The 
whole  nation  had  apparently  received  him  with 
exultation.  Suddenly,  from  being  a  penniless 
and  crownless  wanderer,  he  had  become  a  sov- 
ereign, second  in  rank  and  power  to  no  other 
sovereign  in  Europe.  His  mother  Henrietta, 
his  widowed  sister  the  Princess  of  Orange,  and 
his  younger  sister  Henrietta,  of  course,  shared 
in  the  prosperity  and  elevation  of  Charles. 
They  were  no  longer  pensioners  upon  the  char- 
ity of  their  French  relatives,  but  composed  the 
royal  family  of  the  British  court. 

It  will  be  remembered  how  cruelly  Louis 
treated  his  young  cousin  in  the  ball-room  in 
the  days  of  her  adversity.  Charles  in  those 
days  had  solicited  of  Mazarin  the  hand  of  his 
niece,  Mary  Mancini.  But  the  proud  cardinal 
promptly  rejected  the  offer  of  a  wandering 
prince,  without  purse  or  crown.  Very  soon 
after  Charles  II.  ascended  the  throne  of  En- 


164  Louis  XIV.  .[1661. 

The  Princess  Henrietta.  Marriage  of  Philip. 

gland,  Mazarin  hastened  to  inform  him  that 
he  was  ready  to  confer  upon  him  his  niece. 
Charles,  a  profligate  fellow,  declined  the  prof- 
fered alliance,  to  the  great  chagrin  of  the 
haughty  cardinal. 

Prosperity  is  sometimes  a  great  beautifier. 
The  young  Princess  Henrietta,  upon  whom  the 
sun  of  prosperity  was  now  shining  in  all  its 
effulgence,  seemed  like  a  new  being,  radiantly 
lovely  and  self  reliant.  Philip  fell  desperately 
in  love  with  her.  With  a  form  of  exquisite 
symmetry,  with  the  fairest  complexion  and 
lovely  features,  she  suddenly  found  herself  the 
sister  of  a  monarch,  transformed  into  the  prin- 
cipal ornament,  almost  the  central  attraction, 
of  the  court.  She  went  to  England  to  attend 
the  coronation  of  her  brother.  She  then  re- 
turned to  Paris.  On  the  31st  of  March,  1661, 
she  was  married  to  Philip  in  the  Palais  Royal, 
in  the  presence  of  the  royal  family  and  the 
prominent  members  of  the  court. 

A  few  weeks  after  this  the  whole  court  re- 
moved to  Fontainebleau.  Here  a  month  was 
spent  in  an  incessant  round  of  festivities.  The 
fickle  king,  as  soon  as  his  brother  had  married 
Henrietta,  saw  in  her  new  personal  beauty  and 
mental  charms.  It  is  not  improbable  that  she 


1661.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COURT.     165 

Fascinations  of  Henrietta.  Grief  of  Maria  Theresa. 

almost  unconsciously,  in  order  to  avenge  the 
past  neglect  of  the  king,  had  studied  all  court- 
ly graces,  all  endearments  of  manner,  all  con- 
versational charms,  that  she  might  compel  the 
king  to  do  justice  to  the  fascinations  of  person 
and  character  with  which  she  was  conscious 
of  being  richly  endowed.  Unhappily,  she  was 
triumphantly  successful ;  perhaps  far  more  so 
than  she  had  intended.  The  changeful  and 
susceptible  king  became  completely  entranced, 
lie  was  continually  by  her  side,  exasperating 
Philip  by  his  gallantry,  arid  keenly  wounding 
the  feelings  of  his  young  queen. 

The  marriage  of  the  king  with  Maria  The- 
resa had  been  merely  a  matter  of  state  policy. 
The  connection  had  not  been  inspired  by  any 
ardent  affection  on  either  side.  Though  the 
king  treated  her  with  great  politeness  as  the 
Queen  of  France,  her  enthusiastic  nature  claim- 
ed a  warmer  sentiment  from  her  young  hus- 
band. '  When  she  saw  the  attentions  to  which 
she  was  entitled  lavished  upon  Henrietta,  the 
wife  of  his  brother,  her  affectionate  heart  was 
chilled.  She  became  reserved,  wept,  sought  re- 
tirement, withdrawing  from  all  those  gayeties 
in  which  her  husband  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  whole  court  by  his  undisguised  admira- 


166  Louis  XIV.  [1661. 

The  queen-mother  appealed  to.  Mademoiselle  de  la  Valliere. 

tion  for  Henrietta.  At  last  her  secret  anguish 
so  far  overcame  her  that  she  threw  herself, 
trembling  and  in  tears,  at  the  feet  of  Anne  of 
Austria,  and  confided  to  her  the  grief  of  her 
heart. 

The  queen-mother  could  not  have  been  sur- 
prised at  this  avowal.  Her  eyes  were  open  to 
that  which  all  the  court  beheld ;  and,  besides, 
Philip  had  already  complained  to  his  mother 
that  Louis  was  endeavoring  to  rob  him  of  the 
love  of  his  bride.  The  remonstrances  of  the 
queen-mother  were  of  no  avail.  The  selfish 
king,  ever  seeking  only  his  own  pleasure,  cared 
little  for  the  wreck  of  the  happiness  of  others. 
He  devoted  himself  with  increasing  assiduity 
to  the  society  of  Henrietta,  frequently  held  his 
court  in  her  apartments,  and  instituted  a  series 
of  magnificent  fetes  in  her  honor. 

Philip,  then  Duke  of  Orleans,  and  in  the  en- 
joyment of  magnificent  revenues  aud  of  much 
independent  feudal  power  as  brother  of  the 
king,  was  designated  in  the  court  as  Monsieur 
There  was  at  that  time  in  the  court  a  young 
lady,  one  of  Henrietta's  maids  of  honor,  Mad- 
emoiselle de  la  Yalliere.  Her  romantic  ca- 
reer, which  subsequently  rendered  her  famous 
throughout  Europe,  merits  a  brief  digression. 


1661.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COUKT.     167 

Visit  to  the  palace  of  Blois.  Fascination  of  Louis. 

Louise  Francoise,  daughter  of  the  Marquis 
de  la  Valliere,  was  born  at  Tours  in  the  year 
1644.  She  was,  consequently,  seventeen  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  which  we  write.  Her 
father  died  in  her  infancy.  Her  mother,  left 
with  an  illustrious  name  and  a  small  income, 
took  for  a  second  husband  a  member  of  the 
court,  Gaston,  duke  of  Orleans,  to  whom  we 
have  previously  alluded,  who  was  brother  of 
Louis  XIII.  and  uncle  of  the  king.  He  re- 
sided at  Blois. 

As  the  king  and  court  were  on  their  way  to 
the  frontiers  of  Spain  for  the  marriage  of  Louis 
with  Maria  Theresa,  it  will  be  remembered  that 
he  stopped  for  a  short  visit  to  his  uncle  at  his 
magnificent  palace  of  Blois.  This  grand  castle, 
with  its  gorgeous  architectural  magnificence, 
its  shaded  parks  and  blooming  gardens,  was  to 
Louise  and  her  many  companions  an  earthly 
paradise.  Here,  in  an  incessant  round  of  pleas- 
ures, she  had  passed  her  girlhood. 

The  sight  of  the  young  monarch,  so  graceful 
in  figure,  so  handsome  in  features,  so  marvel- 
ously  courteous  in  bearing,  aroused  all  the  en- 
thusiasm of  the  susceptible  young  maiden  of 
sixteen.  He  was  her  sovereign,  as  well  as  to 
her  eyes  the  most  fascinating  specimen  of  a 


168  Louis  XIV.  [1661. 

Louise  captivated.  Festivities  at  Fontaineblcau. 

man.  She  felt  as  though  she  were  gazing 
upon  a  superior,  almost  a  celestial  being.  She 
dreamed  not  of  having  fallen  in  love  with  him. 
The  feeling  of  admiration,  and  almost  of  ado- 
ration, was  altogether  too  elevated  for  earthly 
passion.  In  the  presence  of  the  king  she  was 
but  an  obscure  child.  In  the  crowded  assem- 
blage of  wealth,  and  rank,  and  beauty  which 
greeted  the  king  at  Blois,  Louise  was  unnoticed. 
The  king  went  on  his  way,  leaving  an  impres- 
sion on  the  heart  of  the  young  girl  which  could 
never  be  effaced.  She  thought  it  would  be 
heaven  to  live  in  his  presence,  to  watch  his 
movements,  to  listen  to  his  words,  even  though 
no  word  were  addressed  to  her. 

Soon  after  this  the  Duke  of  Orleans  died. 
His  court  was  broken  up.  Louise  was  appoint- 
ed to  a  place  as  one  of  the  maids  of  honor  of 
the  Princess  Henrietta.  She  joined  the  court 
of  Madame  in  Paris  just  before  their  depart- 
ure for  Fontainebleau,  to  which  place,  of  course, 
she  accompanied  them. 

Here,  in  the  midst  of  scenes  of  most  brilliant 
festivities,  Louise  feasted  her  eyes  with  the  sight 
of  the  king.  Louis  was  exceedingly  fond  of  ex- 
hibiting his  grace  as  a  dancer.  Among  these 
entertainments,  the  king  took  part  in  a  ballet 


1661.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COURT.     169 


Discussion  of  the  court  ladies. 


with  Henrietta,  lie,  in  very  picturesque  dress, 
representing  the  goddess  Ceres.  At  the  close 
of  the  ballet,  Louise,  bewildered  by  the  scene, 
and  oppressed  by  inexplicable  emotions,  pro- 
posed to  three  of  her  lady  companions  that 
they  should  take  a  short  walk  into  the  dim 
recesses  of  the  forest.  It  was  a  brilliant  night, 
and  the  cool  breeze  fanned  their  fevered  cheeks. 
As  the  four  young  ladies  retired,  one  of  the 
companions  of  the  king  laughingly  suggested 
to  him  that  they  should  follow  them,  and  learn 
the  secret  of  their  hearts. 

The  ladies  seated  themselves  at  the  foot  of 
a  large  tree,  where  they  began  to  discuss  the 
scenes  and  actors  of  the  evening.  The  king 
and  his  companion,  concealed  at  a  short  dis- 
tance, heard  every  word  they  uttered.  Louise 
was  for  a  time  silent,  but,  being  appealed  to 
upon  some  subject,  with  very  emphatic  utter- 
ance remarked  that  she  wondered  that  they 
could  see  any  body,  or  think  of  any  body  but 
the  king,  when  he  was  present.  Upon  her 
companions  rallying  her  for  being  so  much 
carried  away  by  the  splendors  of  royalty,  she 
declared  "  that  it  was  not  the  king,  as  a  king, 
who  excited  her  admiration,  but  it  was  Louis, 
as  the  most  perfect  of  men;  that  his  crown 


170  Louis  X1T.  [1661. 

Vexation  of  Louise.  Discovery  by  L.  u is. 

added  nothing  to  his  splendor  of  person  or 
mind." 

The  king  could  not  see  the  speaker;  he 
could  only  hear  her  enthusiastic  and  impas- 
sioned voice.  The  parties  returned  to  the 
chateau.  Louise  was  very  much  chagrined 
that  she  should  have  allowed  herself  so  impru- 
dently to  express  her  feelings.  She  knew  that 
the  conversation  would  be  repeated,  and  feared 
that  she  should  become  a  subject  of  ridicule 
for  the  whole  court.  In  the  interesting  ac- 
count which  she  gives  of  these  events  in  her 
autobiography,  she  says  that  she  retired  to  her 
room  and  wept  bitterly. 

The  next  morning  Louise  repaired  to  the 
apartments  of  Henrietta.  She  was  surround- 
ed by  her  suite  of  ladies.  The  king  was  al- 
ready there.  As,  with  his  accustomed  gallant- 
ry, he  passed  down  the  room  addressing  a  few 
words  to  each,  he  approached  Louise.  Her 
heart  throbbed  violently.  He  had  never  spoken 
to  her  before. 

In  response  to  his  question,  "And  what  did 
you  think  of  the  ballet  last  night  2"  she,  great- 
ly agitated,  attempted  an  answer.  The  king 
observed  her  confusion,  and  instantly  recog- 
nized her  voice.  It  was  the  same  which  he 


1661.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COURT.     171 

Louis  and  Mademoiselle  dc  Valli&re. 

iiad  heard  the  evening  before  in  the  forest  ex- 
pressing such  enthusiastic  admiration  for  his 
person.  The  king  started,  and  fixed  his  eyes 
so  intently  upon  her  as  to  increase  her  embar- 
rassment and  attract  the  observation  of  all 
around.  With  a  profound  bow  the  king  passed 
on,  but  again  and  again  was  seen  to  turn  his 
eyes  to  the  blushing  girl.  From  that  time 
Mademoiselle  de  la  Valliere  became  the  ob- 
ject of  the  marked  and  flattering  attention  of 
the  king. 

The  unaffected  timidity  and  modesty  of  her 
demeanor,  her  brilliant  complexion,  large  and 
languishing  blue  eyes,  and  prof  vision  of  flaxen 
hair,  were  enough  of  themselves  to  excite  the 
admiration  of  one  so  enamored  of  beauty  as 
was  Louis  XIV.  But,  in  addition  to  this,  the 
self-love  of  Louis  was  gratified  by  the  assurance 
that  Louise  admired  him  for  his  personal  qual- 
ities, and  not  merely  for  his  kingly  crown. 
As  the  king  was  well  aware  of  the  gossip  with 
which  the  court  was  filled  in  view  of  his  de- 
votion to  Madame  Henrietta,  he  perhaps  deem- 
ed it  expedient,  by  special  attention  to  Louise, 
to  divert  the  current  of  thought  and  conversa- 
tion. 

A  few  days  after  this  a  great  hunt  took  place 


172  Louis  XIY.  [1661. 

Sudden  interruption  of  festivities. 

in  the  park.  It  was  a  hot  summer's  day.  At 
the  close  of  the  hunt  a  table  was  spread  load- 
ed with  delicacies.  As  the  king  and  the  cour- 
tiers, iu  the  keenest  enjoyment  of  the  merry 
scene,  were  partaking  of  the  sumptuous  repast, 
almost  unobserved  a  thunder-cloud  arose,  and 
there  descended  upon  them  a  flood  of  rain  so 
deluging  that  the  company  scattered  in  all  di- 
rections for  shelter.  Louise  running,  she  knew 
not  where,  soon  found  the  king  by  her  side. 
Politely  taking  her  by  the  hand,  he  hurried 
her  to  a  large  tree,  whose  dense  canopy  of 
leaves  promised  some  protection  from  the 
shower.  There  they  stood,  the  young  and 
handsome  king,  the  beautiful  maiden,  the  rain 
falling  upon  them  in  floods.  It  is  interesting 
to  record  that  the  homage  which  rank  paid  to 
beauty  was  such  that  the  king  stood  bare- 
headed, with  his  plumed  hat  in  his  hand,  en- 
gaged during  the  hour  the  rain  descended  in 
animated  conversation.  After  this  it  was  ob- 
served that  in  the  evening  drives  in  the  park 
he  would  ride  on  horseback  for  a  short  time 
by  the  carriage  of  the  queen,  or  of  the  Prin- 
cess Henrietta,  and  would  then  gallop  to  the 
coach  of  Louise. 

He  soon  commenced  a  daihr  correspondence 


1661.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COUKT. 

Attentions  of  Louis.  Anecdote. 

with  her.  Louis  was  by  no  means  a  well-ed- 
ucated man.  In  fact,  he  might  be  almost  re- 
garded as  illiterate ;  but  his  letters  were  writ- 
ten with  so  much  delicacy  of  sentiment  arid 
elegance  of  expression,  that  Louise  was  embar- 
rassed in  knowing  how  to  return  suitable  re- 
plies. She  was  mortified  at  the  thought  of 
having  her  awkward  letters  compared  with  the 
elegant  epistles  which  she  received.  In  her 
embarrassment,  she  applied  to  the  Marquis  of 
Dangeau,  a  man  of  superior  talents  and  cul- 
ture, to  write  her  responses  for  her. 

Louise  was  a  very  noble  girl,  frank,  sincere, 
confiding.  On  one  occasion,  when  the  king 
was  complimenting  her  upon  the  rare  beauty 
of  her  letters,  the  artless  child  confessed  that 
she  was  not  the  author  of  them,  but  that  they 
were  written  by  the  Marquis  of  Dangeau. 
The  king  smiled,  and  had  the  grace  to  admit 
that  his  letters  to  her  were  written  by  the  same 
individual ! 

It  had  become  a  common  entertainment  of 
the  court  to  put  up  in  a  lottery  some  beautiful 
article  of  jewelry.  On  one  occasion  the  king 
drew  a  very  costly  pair  of  bracelets.  All  were 
looking  with  some  curiosity  to  see  to  whom  he 
would  present  them.  Pausing  for. a  moment, 


174:  Lovis  XIV.  [1661. 

The  lottery  and  the  bracelets.  The  palace  of  Vaux. 

the  king  admiringly  contemplated  the  spark- 
ling gems,  and  then,  threading  his  way  through 
the  throng  of  ladies,  advanced  to  Mademoiselle 
de  la  Valliere,  who  stood  a  little  apart,  and 
placed  them  in  her  hands.  Henrietta  turned 
pale,  and  bit  her  lip  with  vexation.  The  queen, 
Maria  Theresa,  looked  on  with  a  marble  smile, 
which  revealed  nothing  of  her  feelings.  Louise 
was  embarrassed,  but  with  admirable  tact  she 
assumed  that  the  king  had  merely  presented 
them  to  her  for  inspection.  After  carefully 
examining  them,  she  handed  them  back  to  him, 
saying,  with  a  courtesy, "  They  are  indeed  very 
beautiful."  Louis,  instead  of  receiving  them, 
said,  with  a  stately  bow, "  In  that  case,  made- 
moiselle, they  are  in  hands  too  fair  to  resign 
them,"  and  returned  to  his  seat 

As  we  have  mentioned,  the  minister  of  the 
treasury  was  rolling  in  ill-gotten  wealth.  Hi& 
palace  of  Vaux,*  upon  which  he  had  expended 
fifteen  millions  of  francs,  eclipsed  in  splendor 

*  The  chateau  of  Vaux  was  a  spacious  and  magnificent 
palace  in  the  small  village  of  Maincy,  about  three  miles  from 
Melun.  M.  Fonquet  purchased  it,  and  expended  enormous 
sums  in  enlarging  the  buildings,  ornamenting  the  gardens, 
and  decorating  the  walls  with  paintings.  His  expenditures 
were  so  lavish  that  the  chateau  exceeded  in  magnificence 
any  of  the  royal  palaces. 


1661.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COURT.     175 

Splendor  of  the  palace.  Rebuke  of  Louis. 

the  royal  palaces  of  Fontainebleau  and  Saint 
Germain.  The  king  disliked  him  as  a  man. 
He  knew  very  well  that  he  was  robbing  the 
treasury,  and  it  was  annoying  to  have  a  sub- 
ject live  in  state  surpassing  that  of  the  sover- 
eign. M.  Fouquet  very  imprudently  invited 
Louis  and  all  his  court  to  a  magnificent  fete 
at  his  chateau.  All  the  notabilities  of  France 
were  bidden  to  this  princely  festival,  which  the 
minister  resolved  should  surpass,  in  splendor, 
any  thing  that  France  had  hitherto  witnessed. 

The  king,  with  an  imposing  escort,  reached 
the  gates  of  the  chateau.  Fouquet  met  him 
there,  and  conducted  him  and  all  the  court, 
first,  to  the  park.  Here  a  spectacle  of  splen- 
dor presented  itself  which  astonished  the  king. 
Notwithstanding  all  he  had  heard  of  the  gor- 
geousness  of  his  ministe]  ;s  palace,  he  was  still 
not  prepared  for  such  a  scene  of  luxury  and 
enchantment.  Instead  of  being  gratified,  he 
turned  to  Fouquet,  and  said  to  him  bitterly, 

"  I  shall  never  again,  sir,  venture  to  invite 
you  to  visit  me.  You  would  find  yourself  in- 
convenienced." 

Fouquet  felt  the  keen  rebuke.  For  a  mo- 
ment he  turned  pale.  He  soon,  however,  ral- 
lied, and  did  all  in  his  power  to  gratify  his 


176 

Magnificent  scenes. 


Louis  XIV. 


[1661. 


Continued  festivities. 


guests  by  the  gorgeous  spectacles  and  sumptu- 
ous entertainments  of  his  more  than  regal 
home.  The  king,  led  by  his  host,  passed 
through  all  the  apartments  of  the  cha'teau,  and 
acknowledged  that  in  its  interior  adornings 
there  was  not  probably  another  edifice  in  Eu 
rope  which  could  equal  it  in  magnificence. 


OHATTIATT  T>K  VAUX. 


In  the  evening  there  was  a  ball  in  the  grand 
saloon  of  the  castle.  The  king  having  danced 
several  times  with  Louise,  she  became  fatigued, 
and  expressed  the  desire  to  leave,  for  a  short 
time,  the  heated  room.  Louis  drew  her  arm 


1001.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COV/RT.     177 

Significant  motto.  Fouqaet  in  danger. 

through  his  own,  and,  conducting  her  through 
the  magnificent  suite  of  apartments,  which  had 
already  excited  his  displeasure,  pointed  out  to 
her  the  armorial  bearings  of  the  proud  minis- 
ter, which  were  conspicuous  in  every  room. 
The  shield  represented  a  squirrel  ascending 
the  topmost  branches  of  a  tree,  with  the  motto 
"  quo  non  ascendam" 

Neither  the  king  nor  his  fair  companion  un- 
derstood Latin.  Just  then  the  king's  secretary, 
M.  Colbert,  entered.  He  hated  Fouquet.  He 
had  already  detected  the  minister  in  many  fal- 
sifications of  the  treasury  accounts,  and  had 
explained  the  robbery  to  the  king.  Louis  had 
been  for  some  time  contemplating  the  arrest 
of  Fouquet,  but  hardly  dared,  as  yet,  to  strike 
one  so  powerful. 

As  M.  Colbert  entered,  Louise  inquired  of 
him  the  significance  of  the  motto. 

"  It  signifies,"  he  replied,  "  to  what  height 
may  I  not  attain,  and  this  significance  is  well 
understood  by  those  who  know  the  boldness  of 
the  squirrel  or  that  of  his  master." 

Just  at  that  moment  another  courtier  came 
up,  who  remarked,  "  Your  majesty  has  proba- 
bly not  observed  that  in  every  instance  the 
squirrel  is  pursued  by  a  serpent." 
1—12 


178  Louis  XIV.  [1661. 

Intervention  of  Louise.  M.  Fouquet  imprisoned. 

The  king  turned  pale  with  anger,  and  order- 
ed the  captain  of  his  musketeers  to  attend  him. 
Louise  understood  full  well  what  this  meant. 
She  threw  herself  at  his  feet,  and  entreated 
him  not  to  sully  his  reputation  by  arresting  a 
man  whose  guest  he  was,  and  who  was  enter- 
taining him  and  his  court  with  the  highest  hon- 
ors. •  With  the  greatest  difficulty,  the  king  was 
dissuaded  from  immediate  action.  For  a  time 
he  smothered  his  vengeance,  and  the  court  re- 
turned to  Fontainebleau. 

The  king's  displeasure  not  only  remained 
unabated,  but  increased  with  added  evidence 
of  the  pride,  display,  and  fraudulent  transac- 
tions of  his  minister.  At  length  he  ordered 
him  to  be  secretly  arrested,  conveyed  in  close 
confinement  to  Angers,  while  a  seal  was  placed 
on  all  his  property.  But  for  the  interposition 
of  the  kind-hearted  Louise,  the  degraded  min- 
ister would  have  lost  his  life.  It  was  easy  for 
the  king,  immersed  in  pleasure,  to  forget  the 
miserable.  M.  Fouquet  was  left  in  his  impris- 
onment, almost  as  entirely  lost  to  the  world 
as  if  he  had  been  consigned  to  the  oubliettes 
of  the  Bastile. 

Soon  after  this,  the  1st  of  November,  1661, 
Maria  Theresa  gave  birth  to  a  dauphin.  Louis 


1661.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COURT.     179 


Continued  gayety  at  court. 


was  greatly  elated.  Still,  the  pride  which  he 
took  in  the  child  as  the  heir  to  the  throne  did 
not  secure  for  his  neglected  wife  any  more  ten- 
derness of  regard.  He  treated  her  with  great 
courtesy,  while  his  affections  were  vibrating 
between  Henrietta  and  Louise.  Every  thing 
seemed  to  combine  to  magnify  the  power  of 
the  king.  Still,  the  pleasure-loving  monarch, 
while  apparently  wholly  resigning  himself  to 
the  career  of  a  voluptuary,  was  with  instinctive 
sagacity  striving  to  undermine  the  resources  of 
the  haughty  nobility,  and  to  render  his  own 
court  the  most  magnificent  in  Europe. 

For  several  months  the  court  continued  im- 
mersed in  gayety.  Dancing,  in  all  variety  of 
costumes,  was  the  great  amusement  of  the  king. 
There  were  balls  every  evening.  Mademoi- 
selle de  la  Valliere  became  more  and  more  the 
object  of  the  marked  attentions  of  Louis.  All 
his  energies  seemed  absorbed  in  the  small-talk 
of  gallantry  ;  still  there  were  occasional  indica- 
tions that  there  were  latent  forces  in  the  mind 
of  the  king  which  events  might  yet  develop. 

One  evening  the  king  was  attending  a  bril- 
liant ball  in  the  apartments  of  Henrietta.  As 
he  was  earnestly  engaged  in  conversation  with 
the  beautiful  Louise,  some  important  dispatches 


180  Louis  XI Y.  [1662. 

Important  dispatches.  The  king's  orders. 

were  placed  in  his  hands.  lie  seated  himself 
at  a  table  to  examine  them.  Many  eyes  watch- 
ed his  countenance  as  he  silently  perused  the 
documents.  It  M-as  observed  at  one  moment 
that  he  turned  deadly  pale,  and  bit  his  lip  with 
vexation.  Having  read  the  dispatches  to  the 
end,  he  angrily  crushed  them  in  his  hand,  and 
said  to  several  of  the  officers  of  the  court  who 
were  around  him, 

"  Our  embassador  in  London  has  been  pub- 
licly insulted  by  the  Spanish  embassador." 
Then  turning  to  M.  Tellier,  the  Minister  of 
War,  he  said,  "  Let  my  embassador  at  Madrid 
leave  that  city  immediately.  Order  the  Span- 
ish envoy  to  quit  Paris  within  twenty-four 
hours.  The  conferences  at  Flanders  are  at  an 
end.  Unless  Spain  publicly  recognizes  the 
superiority  of  our  crown,  she  may  prepare  for 
a  renewal  of  the  war." 

These  orders  of  the  king  created  general 
consternation.  It  was  virtually  inaugurating 
another  war,  with  all  its  untold  horrors.  M. 
Tellier  seemed  thunderstruck.  The  king,  per- 
ceiving his  hesitation,  said  to  him  imperiously, 

"Do  you  not  understand  my  orders?  I 
wish  you  immediately  to  assemble  the  council 
1  will  meet  them  in  an  hour." 


li.j  i^KST  IVITIES    OF    THE    COURT.        181 
Relationship  of  the  French  and  Spanish  courts. 

The  king  then  returned  to  the  ladies,  and 
entered  into  trifling  small-talk  with  them,  as 
if  nothing  of  moment  had  occurred. 

It  seems  that  a  dispute  had  arisen  in  London 
between  the  French  and  Spanish  embassadors 
upon  the  point  of  precedence.  This  had  led 
to  a  bloody  rencounter  in  the  streets  between 
the  retinues  of  the  two  ministers.  The  French 
were  worsted.  The  Spaniards  gained  the  con- 
tested point. 

The  King  of  Spain  was  the  brother  of  Anne 
of  Austria.  His  first  wife,  the  mother  of  Maria 
Theresa,  was  sister  of  Louis  XIIL,  and  conse- 
quently aunt  of  Louis  XIY.  Thus  there  was 
a  peculiar  bond  of  relationship  between  the 
French  and  Spanish  courts.  Still  Louis  was 
unrelenting  in  the  vigorous  action  upon  which 
he  had  entered.  In  addition  to  the  hostile 
measures  already  adopted,  a  special  messenger 
was  sent  to  Philip  IV.  to  inform  him  that,  un- 
less he  immediately  recognized  the  supremacy 
of  the  French  court,  and  made  a  formal  apolo- 
gy for  the  insult  offered  the  French  minister, 
war  would  ensue.  The  Spanish  king,  unwill- 
ing, for  so  trivial  a  cause,  to  involve  the  two 
nations  in  a  bloody  conflict,  very  magnanimous- 
ly yielded  to  the  requirements  demanded  bjr 


182  Louife  XIV.  [1662. 

The  apology  of  Philip  IV.  Conduct  of  M.  Cr6qui. 

the  hot  blood  and  wounded  pride  of  his  son- 
in-law.  In  the  presence  of  all  the  foreign  min- 
isters and  the  assembled  court  at  Fontaine- 
bleau,  the  Spanish  embassador  made  a  humble 
apology,  and  declared  that  never  again  should 
the  precedence  of  the  embassador  of  France 
be  denied. 

A  very  similar  difficulty  occurred  a  short 
time  after  at  Home.  The  French  embassador 
there,  the  Duke  of  Crequi,  an  old  feudal  noble, 
accompanied  by  troops  of  retainers  armed  to 
the  teeth,  had,  by  his  haughty  bearing,  become 
extremely  unpopular  both  with  the  court  and 
the  people  of  Rome.  The  myrmidons  of  the 
duke  were  continually  engaged  in  night-brawls 
with  the  police.  On  one  occasion  they  even 
attacked,  sword  in  hand,  the  Pope's  guard,  and 
put  them  to  flight.  The  brother  of  Pope  Alex- 
ander VII.,  who  hated  Cre'qui,  instigated  the 
guard  to  take  revenge.  In  an  infuriated  mob, 
they  surrounded  the  palace  of  the  embassador, 
and  fired  upon  his  carriage  as  it  entered  his 
court -yard.  A  page  was  killed,  and  several 
other  attendants  wounded.  Cre'qui  immediate- 
ly left  the  city,  accusing  the  Pope  of  instigating 
the  outrage. 

Louis  XJTV.  demanded  reparation,  and  the 


1662.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COUKT.     183 

The  Pope  humbled. 

most  humble  apology.  The  proud  Pope  was 
not  disposed  to  yield  to  his  insolent  demands. 
Affairs  assumed  so  threatening  an  aspect,  that 
the  Pope  ordered  two  of  the  guard,  one  an  of- 
ficer, to  be  hung,  and  the  Mayor  of  Rome,  who 
was  accused  of  having  instigated  the  outrage, 
to  be  banished.  This  concession,  however,  by 
no  means  satisfied  the  irascible  Louis.  He 
commenced  landing  troops  in  Italy,  threaten- 
ing to  besiege  Rome.  The  Pope  appealed  to 
the  Roman  Catholic  princes  of  Germany  for 
aid.  They  could  not  come  to  his  rescue,  for 
they  were  threatened  with  war  by  the  Turks. 
The  unhappy  Pope  was  thus  brought  upon  his 
knees.  He  was  compelled  to  banish  from 
Rome  his  own  brother,  Don  Mario  Chigi,  and 
to  send  an  embassador  to  Paris  with  the  most 
humble  apology. 

These  events  were  but  slight  episodes  in  the 
gay  life  of  the  pleasure-loving  king.  He  was 
still  reveling  in  an  incessant  round  of  feasting 
and  dancing,  flitting  with  his  gay  court  from 
one  to  another  of  his  metropolitan  and  rural 
palaces. 

There  are  few  so  stern  as  not  to  feel  emo- 
tions of  sympathy  rather  than  of  condemna- 
tion for  Louise  de  la  Valliere.  She  was  a 


184:  Louis  XIV.  [1662. 

Remorse  of  De  la  Vallidre.  Illness  of  Anne  of  Austria. 

child  of  seventeen,  exposed  to  all  the  fascina- 
tions and  temptations  of  the  most  luxurious 
court  then  upon  the  globe.  But  God  has  im- 
planted in  every  bosom  a  sense  of  right  and 
wrong.  She  wept  bitterly  over  her  fall.  Her 
remorse  was  so  great  that  she  withdrew  as  far 
as  possible  from  society,  and  the  anguish  of 
her  repentance  greatly  embarrassed  her  royal 
lover. 

Henrietta  was  greatly  annoyed  at  the  pref- 
erence which  the  king  had  shown  for  Louise 
over  herself.  She  determined  to  drive  the  un- 
fortunate favorite  from  the  court.  Anne  of 
Austria,  with  increasing  years,  was  growing 
oblivious  of  her  own  youthful  indiscretions, 
and  was  daily  becoming  more  stern  in  her 
judgments.  A  cancer  had  commenced  its  se- 
cret ravages  upon  her  person.  Its  progress  no 
medical  skill  could  arrest.  She  tried  to  con- 
ceal the  terrible  secret  which  was  threatening 
her  with  the  most  loathsome  and  distressing 
of  deaths.  In  this  mood  of  mind  the  haughty 
queen  sent  for  the  weeping  Louise  to  her  room. 
Trembling  in  every  nerve,  the  affrighted  child 
attended  the  summons.  She  found  Anne  of 
Austria  with  Henrietta  by  her  side.  The 
queen,  without  assigning  any  cause,  sternly  in- 


1062.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COURT.      185 

Trials  of  Mademoiselle  de  la  ValH6re. 


formed  her  that  she  was  banished  from  the 
court  of  France,  and  that  suitable  attendants 
would  immediately  convey  her  to  a  distant 
castle.  Upon  Louise  attempting  to  make 
some  inquiry  why  she  was  thus  punished,  the 
haughty  queen  sternly  interrupted  her  with 
the  reply  "that  France  could  not  have  two 
queens." 

Louise  staggered  back  to  her  room  over- 
whelmed with  despair.  Both  God  and  man 
will  declare  that,  whatever  fault  there  might 
have  been  in  the  relations  then  existing  be- 
tween the  king  and  this  unprotected  girl,  the 
censure  should  have  rested  a  thousand  fold 
more  heavily  upon  the  king  than  upon  his  vic- 
tim. And  yet  Louise  was  to  be  driven  in  ig- 
nominy from  the  court,  to  enter  into  a  deso- 
lated world  utterly  ruined.  Through  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day  no  one  entered  her  apart- 
ment. She  spent  the  hours  in  tears  and  in  the 
fever  of  despair.  In  the  evening  Louis  him- 
self came  to  her  room  and  found  her  exhaust- 
ed with  weeping.  lie  endeavored  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  her  overwhelming  distress.  She, 
unwilling  to  be  the  occasion  of  an  irreconcila- 
ble feud  between  the  mother  and  the  son, 
evaded  all  his  inquiries.  He  resorted  to  en- 


186  Louis  XIV.  [1662. 

Disappointment.  Flight  of  Mademoiselle  de  la  Valllere. 

treaties,  reproaches,  threats,  but  in  vain.  Irri- 
tated by  her  pertinacious  refusal,  he  suddenly 
left  her  without  speaking  a  word  of  adieu. 

Louise  seemed  now  truly  to  be  alone  in  the 
world,  without  a  single  friend  left  her.  But 
she  then  recalled  to  mind  that  she  had  former- 
ly entered  into  an  agreement  with  the  king 
that,  in  case  of  any  misunderstanding  arising 
between  them,  a  night  should  not  pass  without 
an  attempt  at  reconciliation.  A  new  hope 
arose  in  her  mind  that  the  king  would  either 
return,  or  send  her  a  note  to  inform  her  that 
his  anger  no  longer  continued. 

"  And  so  she  waited  and  watched,  and  count- 
ed every  hour  as  it  was  proclaimed  from  the 
belfry  of  the  palace.  But  she  waited  and 
watched  in  vain.  When  at  length,  after  this 
long  and  weary  night,  the  daylight  streamed 
through  the  silken  curtains  of  her  chamber, 
she  threw  herself  upon  her  knees,  and  praying 
that  God  would  not  cast  away  the  victim  who 
was  thus  rejected  by  the  world,  she  hastened, 
with  a  burning  cheek  and  a  tearless  eye,  to 
collect  a  few  necessary  articles  of  clothing,  and 
throwing  on  her  veil  and  mantle,  rushed  down 
a  private  staircase  and  escaped  into  the  street. 
In  this  distracted  state  of  mind  she  pursued 


1662.JFESTIVITIEB    OF   THE    CoUET.        187 
Seeks  admission  to  the  convent,  and  is  denied. 

her  way  to  Chaillot,*  and  reached  the  convent 
of  the  Sisters  of  St.  Mary,  where  she  was  de- 
tained some  time  in  the  parlor.  At  length 
the  grating  was  opened  and  a  portress  appear- 
ed. On  her  request  to  be  admitted  to  the  ab- 
bess, she  informed  her  that  the  community 
were  all  at  their  devotions,  and  could  not  see 
any  one. 

"  It  was  in  vain  that  the  poor  fugitive  en- 
treated and  asserted  her  intention  of  taking 
the  vows.  She  could  extort  no  other  answer, 
and  the  portress  withdrew,  leaving  her  sitting 
on  a  wooden  bench  desolate,  heart-sick.  For 
two  hours  she  remained  motionless,  with  her 
eyes  fixed  upon  the  grating,  but  it  continued 
closed.  Even  the  dreary  refuge  of  this  poor 
and  obscure  convent  was  denied  her.  Even 
the  house  of  religion  had  barred  its  doors 
against  her.  She  could  bear  up  no  longer. 
From  the  previous  evening  she  had  not  tasted 
food,  and  the  fatigue  of  body  and  anguish  of 

*  Chaillot  was  a  village  on  the  banks  of  the  Seine,  ahout 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  Tuileries,  near  the  present  bridge 
of  Jena.  The  nuns  of  the  order  of  St.  Mary  had  a  celebra- 
ted convent  here,  where  persecuted  grandeur  often  sought  an 
asylum.  Within  the  walls  of  this  convent  the  widowed 
queen  of  Charles  I.  and  daughter  of  Henry  IV.  died  in  the 
year  1669. 


Louis  XIV.  [1661 

Reproaches  of  the  queen-mother.  Fnry  of  Lonis. 

mind  which  she  had  undergone,  combined  with 
this  unaccustomed  fast,  had  exhausted  her 
slight  remains  of  strength.  A  sullen  torpor 
gradually  overcame  her  faculties,  and  eventu- 
ally she  fell  upon  the  paved  floor  cold  and  in- 
sensible."* 

The  king  had  probably  passed  a  very  un- 
comfortable night.  Early  in  the  morning  he 
learned  that  Louise  had  disappeared.  Much 
alarmed,  he  hastened  to  the  apartments  of 
Madame  Henrietta  in  the  Tuileries.  She  un- 
feelingly expressed  entire  ignorance  of  the 
movements  of  Mademoiselle  de  la  Valliere. 
7Se  immediately  repaired  to  the  rooms  of  his 
mother.  She  was  unable  to  give  him  any  in- 
formation respecting  the  lost  favorite.  Bitter- 
ly, however,  she  reproached  her  son  with  his 
want  of  self-control  in  allowing  himself  to 
cherish  so  strong  an  attachment  to  Mademoi- 
selle de  la  Valliere.  She  accused  him  of  hav- 
ing no  mastery  over  himself. 

The  king's  eyes  flashed  with  indignation. 
He  was  fully  convinced  that  his  mother  was 
in  some  way  the  cause  of  the  departure  of 
Louise.  Angrily  he  replied, 

"  It  may  be  so  that  I  do  not  know  how  to 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France,  vol.  ii.,.p.  125. 


19G2.] FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COUKT.      189 

Power  of  Louis  over  Mademoiselle  de  la  Vallidre. 

control  myself,  but  1  will  at  least  prove  that  I 
know  how  to  control  those  who  offend  me." 

Turning  upon  his  heel,  he  left  the  apartment. 
By  some  means  he  obtained  a  clew  to  the  re- 
treat of  Louise.  Mounting  his  horse,  accom- 
panied by  a  single  page,  he  galloped  to  the  con- 
vent of  Chaillot.  As  there  had  been  no  warn- 
ing of  his  approach,  the  grating  still  remained 
closed.  He  arrived  just  after  the  poor  girl 
had  fallen  from  the  wooden  bench  upon  the 
tesselated  floor  of  the  cold  and  cheerless  ante- 
room. Her  beautiful  form  lay  apparently  life- 
less before  him.  Tears  fell  profusely  from  his 
eyes.  He  chafed  her  hands  and  temples.  In 
endearing  terms  he  entreated  her  to  awake. 
Gradually  she  revived.  Frankly  she  related 
the  cause  of  her  departure,  and  entreated  him 
to  permit  her  to  spend  the  remainder  of  her  sad- 
dened life  buried  in  the  cloisters  of  the  convent. 

The  king  insisted,  with  all  his  authority  as  a 
monarch,  and  with  all  his  persuasive  influence 
as  a  man,  that  Louise  should  return  with  him 
to  the  Louvre.  He  was  inspired  with  the  dou- 
ble passion  of  love  for  her,  and  anger  against 
those  who  had  driven  her  from  his  court. 
Louise,  saddened  in  heart  and  crushed  in  spirit, 
with  great  reluctance  at  last  yielded  to  his 


190  Louis  XIV.  [1668. 

Return  of  Mademoiselle  de  la  Valliere  to  the  court.         Reinstated. 

pleadings.  The  page  was  dispatched  for  a  car- 
riage. Seated  by  the  side  of  the  king,  Made- 
moiselle de  la  Valliere  returned  to  the  palace, 
from  which  she  supposed  a  few  hours  beWe 
she  had  departed  forever.  Louis  immediately 
repaired  to  the  apartment  of  Madame  Henri- 
etta, and  so  imperiously  insisted  that  Louise 
should  be  restored  to  her  place  as  one  of  her 
maids  of  honor,  that  his  sister-in-law  dared  not 
refuse.  The  influence  of  Anne  of  Austria  was 
now  nearly  at  an  end.  She  was  dying  of  slow 
disease,  and,  notwithstanding  all  her  efforts  to 
conceal  the  loathsome  malady  which  was  de- 
vouring her,  she  was  compelled  to  spend  most  of 
her  time  in  the  seclusion  of  her  own  chamber. 
Louis  XIV.,  in  the  exercise  of  absolute  pow- 
er, with  all  the  court  bowing  before  him  in  the 
most  abject  homage,  had  gradually  begun  to 
regard  himself  almost  as  a  God.  He  had  nev- 
er recovered  from  the  mortification  which  he 
h;  d  experienced  at  the  palace  of  Vaux,  in  find- 
ing a  subject  living  in  splendor  which  outvied 
that  of  the  crown. '  He  determined  to  rear  a 
palace  of  such  extraordinary  magnificence  that 
no  subject,  whatever  might  be  his  resources, 
could  equal  it.  For  some  time  he  had  been 
looking  around  for  the  site  of  the  building. 


1663.]FESTIVITIES    OF  THE   CoUKT.        191 

Resolve  of  Louis.  Versailles. 

which  h'e  had  resolved  should,  like  the  Pyra- 
mids, be  a  monument  of  his. reign,  and  excite 
the  wonder  and  admiration  of  future  ages. 

Ab'out  twelve  miles  from  Paris  there  was  a 
little  village  of  Versailles,  surrounded  by  an 
immense  forest,  whose  solemn  depths  frequent- 
ly resounded  with  the  baying  of  the  hounds 
of  hunting-parties,  as  the  gayly  dressed  court 
swept  through  the  glades. 

On  one  occasion,  Louis  XIV.,  in  the  eager- 
ness of  the  chase,  became  separated  from  most 
of  the  rest  of  the  party.  Night  coming  on,  he 
was  compelled,  and  the  few  companions  with 
him,  to  take  refuge  in  a  windmill,  where  they 
remained  till  morning.  The  mill  was  erected 
upon  the  highest  point  of  ground.  The  king 
caused  a  small  pavilion  to  be  erected  there  for 
his  accommodation,  should  he  again  chance  to 
be  overtaken  by  night  or  a  storm.  Pleased 
with  the  position,  the  king  ere  long  removed 
the  pavilion,  and  ordered  his  architect,  Lemer- 
cier,  to  erect  upon  the  spot  an  elegant  chateau 
according  to  his  own  taste.  A  landscape  gar- 
dener was  also  employed  to  ornament  the 
grounds.  The  region  soon  was  embellished  with 
such  loveliness  as  to  charm  every  beholder. 
It  became  the  favorite  rural  resort  of  the  king. 


192  Louis  XIV.  [1664. 

Extravagance  of  the  king. 

The  chateau  and  its  grounds  soon  witnessed 
a  series  of  festivities,  the  fame  of  which  re- 
sounded through  all  Europe.  Republican 
America  will  ponder  the  fact,  which  the  aris- 
tocratic courts  of  Europe  ignored,  that  these 
entertainments  of  boundless  extravagance  were 
at  the  expense  of  the  overtaxed  and  starving 
people.  That  king  and  courtiers  might  not  hi 
luxury,  the  wives  and  daughters  of  peasants 
were  harnessed  by  the  side  of  donkeys  to  drag 
the  plow. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1664,  the  king,  ac- 
companied by  his  court  of  six  hundred  indi- 
viduals, gentlemen  and  ladies,  with  a  throng 
of  servants,  repaired  to  Versailles.  The  per- 
sonal expenses  of  all  the  guests  were  defrayed 
by  the  king  with  the  money  which  he  wrested 
from  the  people.  With  almost  magical  rapid- 
ity, the  artificers  reared  cottages,  stages,  porti- 
coes, for  the  exhibition  of  games,  and  the  dis- 
play of  splendor  scarcely  equaled  in  the  visions 
of  Oriental  romances. 

The  first  entertainment  was  a  tournament. 
The  cavaliers  were  gorgeously  dressed  in  the 
most  glittering  garb  of  the  palmiest  days  of 
feudalism,  magnificently  mounted  with  won- 
drous trappings,  with  their  shields  and  devices, 


1664.]  FESTIVITIES  OF  THE  COURT.      193 


Magnificent  f§tes. 


with  their  attendant  pages,  equerries,  heralds 
at  arms.  Among  them  all  the  king  shone  pre- 
eminent. His  dress,  and  the  housings  of  his 
charger,  embellished  with  the  crown  jewels, 
glittered  with  a  profusion  of  costly  gems  which 
no  one  else  could  equal. 

The  queen,  with  three  hundred  ladies  of  the 
court,  brilliant  in  beauty,  and  in  the  most  at- 
tractive dress,  sat  upon  a  platform,  beneath  tri- 
umphal arches,  to  view  the  procession  as  it 
passed.  The  gleaming  armor  of  the  cavaliers, 
their  prancing  steeds,  the  waving  of  silken 
banners,  and  the  flourish  of  trumpets,  present- 
ed a  spectacle  such  as  no  one  present  had  ever 
conceived  of  before. 

The  tilting  did  not  cease  till  evening.  Sud- 
denly the  blaze  of  four  thousand  torches  illu- 
mined the  scene  with  new  brilliance.  Tables 
were  spread  for  a  banquet,  loaded  with  every 
delicacy.  >  . 

"  The  tables  were  served  by  two  hundred  at- 
tendants, habited  as  dryads,  wood  deities,  and 
fawns.  Behind  the  tables,  which  were  in  the 
form  of  a  vast  crescent,  an  orchestra  arose  as 
if  by  magic.  The  tables  were  illuminated  by 
five  hundred  girandoles.  A  gilt  balustrade 
inclosed  the  whole  of  the  immense  area." 

1—13 


194  Louis  XIV.  [1664. 

Continued  festivities.  Moliere.  Cost  of  Versailles. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE. 

THE  festivities  to  which  we  have  alluded  in 
the  last  chapter,  the  expenses  of  which 
were  sufficient  almost  to  exhaust  the  revenues 
of  a  kingdom,  lasted  seven  days.  The  prizes 
awarded  to  the  victors  in  the  lists  were  very 
costly  and  magnificent.  The  renowned  dram- 
atist Moli&re  accompanied  the  court  on  this  oc- 
casion, to  contribute  to  its  amusement  by  the 
exhibition  of  his  mirth-moving  farces  on  the 
stage. 

It  was  during  these  scenes  that  Louis  XIV. 
selected  Versailles  as  the  site  of  the  stupendous 
pile  of  buildings  which,  was  to  eclipse  all  oth- 
er palaces  that  had  ever  been  reared  on  this 
globe.  This  magnificent  structure,  alike  the 
monument  of  munificence  in  its  appointments, 
and  of  infamy  in  the  distress  it  imposed  upon 
the  overtaxed  people,  eventually  swallowed  up 
the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  million 
of  francs — thirty-three  million  dollars.  It  is 
to  be  remembered  that  at  that  day  money  was 


1664.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.         195 

Lenfitre.  Mansard.  Large  sum  squandered. 

far  more  valuable,  and  far  more  difficult  of 
acquisition  than  at  the  present  time. 

For  seven  years  an  army  of  workmen  was 
employed  on  the  palace,  parks,  and  gardens. 
No  expense  was  spared  to  carry  into  effect  the 
king's  designs.  The  park  and  gardens  were 
laid  out  by  the  celebrated  landscape  gardener 
Lenotre.  The  plans  for  the  palace  were  fur- 
nished by  the  distinguished  architect  Mansard. 
Over  thirty  thousand  soldiers  were  called  from 
their  garrisons  to  assist  the  swarms  of  ordinary 
workmen  in  digging  the  vast  excavations  and 
constructing  the  immense  terraces.  "  It  is  es- 
timated that  not  less  than  forty  millions  ster- 
ling— two  hundred  million  dollars — were  ex- 
hausted upon  the  laying  out  of  these  vast  do- 
mains and  the  erection  of  this  superb  chateau. 
Such  was  the  extraordinary  vigor  with  which 
the  works  were  pushed,  that  in  1685,  hardly 
twenty-five  years  after  its  commencement,  the 
whole  was  in  readiness  to  receive  its  royal  oc- 
cupants. Here  the  royal  family  and  the  court 
resided  until  the  Revolution  of  1789.  Every 
part  of  the  interior  as  well  as  the  exterior  was 
ornamented  with  the  works  of  the  most  emi- 
nent masters  of  the  times."* 

*  Bradshaw's  Guide  through  Paris  and  its  Environs. 


i96  Louis  XIV.  [1664. 

Magnificent  room  at  Versailles.  Ill  feeling  toward 


The  most  magnificent  room  in  the  palace, 
called  the  grand  gallery  of  Louis  XIV.,  was 
two  hundred  and  forty-two  feet  long,  thirty- 
five  feet  broad,  and  forty-three  feet  high.  The 
splendors  of  the  court  of  Louis  XIV.  may  be 
inferred  from  the  fact  that  this  vast  apartment 
was  daily  crowded  with  courtiers.  The  char- 
acteristic vanity  of  the  king  is  conspicuously 
developed,  in  that  he  instituted  an  order  of  no- 
bility as  a  reward  for  personal  services.  The 
one  great  and  only  privilege  of  its  members 
was  that  they  were  permitted  to  wear  a  blue 
<^oat  embroidered  with  gold  and  silver  precise 
ly  like  that  worn  by  the  king,  and  to  follow 
the  king  in  his  hunting-parties  and  drives. 

The  position  of  Mademoiselle  de  la  Valliere 
was  a  very  painful  one.  Though  the  austere 
queen-mother  was  so  ill  in  her  chamber  that 
she  could  do  but  little  to  harass  Louise,  Ma- 
dame Henrietta,  who  had  been  constrained  to 
receive  her  as  one  of  her  maids  of  honor,  did 
every  thing  in  her  power  to  keep  her  in  a  state 
of  perpetual  anxiety.  The  courtiers  generally 
were  hostile  to  her,  from  the  partiality  with 
which  she  was  openly  regarded  by  the  king. 
The  poor  child  was  alone  and  desolate  in  the 
vourt,  and  scarcely  knew  an  hour  of  joy. 


1665.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE. 


Anne  of  Austria  becomes  more  ilL 


The  queeu-mother  was  rapidly  sinking,  de- 
voured by  a  malady  which  not  only  caused  her 
extreme  bodily  suffering,  but,  from  its  loath- 
some character,  affected  her  sensitive  nature 
with  the  most  acute  mental  pangs.  She  re- 
tired to  the  convent  of  Yal  de  Grace,  wherer 
with  ever-increasing  devotion  as  death  drew 
near,  she  consecrated  herself  to  works  of  piety 
and  prayer. 

This  vast  structure  is  situated  upon  the  left 
bank  of  the  Seine,  and  is  now  in  the  limits  of 
the  city  of  Paris, 

"  Anne  of  Austria  had  enjoyed  the  rare  priv- 
ilege, so  seldom  accorded  to  her  sex,  of  grow- 
ing old  without  in  any  very  eminent  cegree 
losing  her  personal  advantages.-  Her  hands 
and  arms,  which  had  always  been  singularly 
beautiful,  remained  smooth  and  round,  and 
delicately  white.  Not  a,  wrinkle  marred  the 
ciignity  of  her  noble  forehead.  Her  eyes, 
which  were  remarkably  fine,  lost  neither  their 
brightness  nor  their  expression  ;  and  yet  for 
years  she  had  been  suffering  physical  pangs 
only  the  more  poignant  from  the  resolution 
with  which  she  concealed  them."* 

The  queen-mother  had  made  the  most  hero 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France,  vol.  ii.,  p.  145. 


200  Louis  XIV.  [1665. 

llliMJM  of  Maria  Theresa.  The  king  sick. 

ic  exertions  to  assume  in  public  the  appearance 
of  health  and  gayety.  None  but  her  physi- 
cians were  made  acquainted  with  the  nature 
of  her  malady. 

The  young  queen,  Maria  Theresa,  who  ap- 
pears to  have  been  an  amiable,  pensive  woman, 
endowed  with  many  quiet  virtues,  was  devoted- 
ly attached  to  the  queen-mother.  She  clung 
to  her  and  followed  her,  while  virtually  aban- 
doned by  her  royal  spouse.  She  had  no  heart 
for  those  courtly  festivities  where  she  saw  oth- 
ers with  higher  fascinations  command  the  ad- 
miration and  devotion  of  her  husband.  The 
queen  was  taken  very  ill  with  the  measles.  It 
speaks  well  for  Louis  XIV.,  and  should  be  re- 
corded to  his  honor,  that  he  devoted  himself  to 
his  sick  wife,  by  day  and  by  night,  with  the 
most  unremitting  attention.  The  disease  was 
malignant  in  its  form,  and  the  king  himself 
was  soon  stricken  down  by  it.  For  several 
days  it  was  feared  that  he  would  not  live.  AB 
he  began  to  recover,  he  was  removed  to  the 
palace  of  St.  Cloud.  The  annexed  view  repre- 
sents the  rear  of  the  palace.  The  magnificent 
saloons  in  front  open  upon  the  city,  and  from 
the  elevated  site  of  the  palace  command  a 
splendid  view  of  the  region  for  many  leagues 
aronnd. 


1665.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.         203 

Abode  of  Madame  Henrietta.  Sufferings  of  the  queen-mother. 

This  truly  splendid  chateau,  but  a  few  miles 
from  the  Tuileries,  had  been  assigned  to  Ma- 
dame Henrietta.  Here  she  resided  with  her 
court,  and  here  the  king  again  found  himself 
under  the  same  roof  with  Mademoiselle  de  la 
Valliere. 

In  the  mean  time  the  health  of  the  queen- 
mother  rapidly  declined.  She  was  fast  sink- 
ing into  the  arms  of  death.  The  young  queen, 
Maria  Theresa,  having  recovered,  was  unwill- 
ing to  leave  her  suffering  mother-in-law  even 
for  an  hour. 

"  The  sufferings  of  Anne  of  Austria,"  writes 
Miss  Pardoe, "  must  indeed  have  been  extreme, 
when,  superadded  to  the  physical  agony  of 
which  she  was  so  long  the  victim,  her  peculiar 
fastidiousness  of  scent  and  touch  are  remem- 
bered. Throughout  the  whole  of  her  illness 
she  had  adopted  every  measure  to  conceal, 
even  from  herself,  the  effects  of  her  infirmity. 
She  constantly  held  in  her  hand  a  large  fan  of 
Spanish  leather,  and  saturated  her  linen  with 
the  most  powerful  perfumes.  Her  sense  of 
contact  was  so  acute  and  irritable  that  it  was 
with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  cambric  could 
be  found  sufficiently  fine  for  her  use.  Upon 
one  occasion,  when  Cardinal  Mazarin  was  jest- 


204:  Louis  XIV.  [1665. 

Death  of  Philip  IV.  of  Spain.       Increasing  ambition  of  Louis  XIV. 

ing  with  her  upon  this  defect,  he  told  her  '  that 
if  she  were  damned,  her  eternal  punishment 
would  be  sleeping  in  linen  sheets.'  " 

Louis  XIV.  was  too  much  engrossed  with 
his  private  pleasures,  his  buildings,  and  rapidly 
multiplying  diplomatic  intrigues  to  pay  much 
attention  to  his  dying  mother.  It  was  not 
pleasant  to  him  to  contemplate  the  scenes  of 
suffering  in  a  sick-chamber.  The  gloom  which 
was  gathering  around  Anne  of  Austria  was 
somewhat  deepened  by  the  intelligence  she  re- 
ceived of  the  death  of  her  brother,  Philip  IV. 
of  Spain.  It  was  another  admonition  to  her 
that  she  too  must  die.  Though  Philip  IV. 
was  a  reserved  and  stately  man,  allowing  him- 
self in  but  few  expressions  of  tenderness  to- 
ward his  family,  Maria  Theresa,  in  her  isola- 
tion, wept  bitterly  over  her  father's  death. 

The  ties  of  relationship  are  feeble  in  courts. 
Louis  XIV.  was  growing  increasingly  ambi- 
tious of  enlarging  his  domains  and  aggrandiz- 
ing his  power,  The  news  of  the  death  of  the 
King  of  Spain  was  but  a  source  of  exultation 
to  him.  Though  scrupulous  in  the  discharge 
of  the  ceremonies  of'  the  Church,  he  was  a 
stranger  to  any  high  sense  of  integrity  or  hon- 
or. In  the  treaty  upon  his  marriage  with  Ma- 


1666.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          205 


Festivities  at  St.  Cloud. 


ria  Theresa  he  had  agreed  to  resign  every 
claim  to  any  portion  of  the  Spanish  kingdom. 
The  death  of  Philip  IV.  left  Spain  in  the 
hands  of  a  feeble  wotnan.  Louis  XIV.,  upon 
the  plea  that  the  five  hundred  thousand  crowns 
promised  as  the  dower  of  his  wife  had  not  yet 
been  paid,  resolved  immediately  to  seize  upon 
the  provinces  of  Flanders  and  Franche-Comte', 
which  then  belonged  to  the  Spanish  crown. 

Notwithstanding  the  queen-mother  had  be- 
come so  exhausted,  from  long-continued  and 
agonizing  bodily  sufferings,  that  she  could  not 
be  moved  from  one  bed  to  another  without 
fainting,  still  the  festivities  of  the  palace  con- 
tinued unintermitted.  The  moans  of  the  dy- 
ing queen  in  the  darkened  chamber  could  not 
be  heard  amidst  the  music  and  the  revelry  of 
the  Louvre  and  the  Tuileries.  On  the  5th  of 
January,  1666,  Philip,  the  Duke  of  Orleans, 
gave  a  magnificent  ball  in  the  palace  of  St. 
Cloud.  Louis  XIV.  was  then  in  deep  mourn- 
ing for  his  father-in-law.  Decorously  he  wore 
the  mourning  dress  of  violet-colored  velret 
adopted  by  the  court ;  he,  however,  took  care 
so  effectually  to  cover  his  mourning  garments 
with  glittering  and  costly  gems  that  the  color 
of  the  material  could  not  be  discerned. 


206  Louis  XIV.  [1656. 

Dying  scene. 

"While  her  children  were  engaged  in  these 
revels,  the  queen  -  mother  passed  a  sleepless 
night  of  terrible  suffering.  It  was  apparent 
to  her  that  her  dying  hour  was  near  at  hand. 
She  was  informed  by  her  physician  that  her 
life  could  be  continued  but  a  few  hours  lon- 
ger. She  called  for  her  confessor,  and  request- 
ed every  one  else  to  leave  the  room.  What 
sins  she  confessed  of  heart  or  life  are  known 
only  to  him  and  to  God.  Having  obtained 
such  absolution  as  the  priest  could  give,  she 
prepared  to  partake  of  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  Her  son  Philip,  with  Madame 
his  wife,  \vere  admitted  to  her  chamber,  where 
the  king  soon  joined  them.  The  Archbishop 
of  Auch,  accompanied  by  quite  a  retinue  of 
ecclesiastics,  approached  with  the  holy  viati- 
cum. The  most  scrupulous  regard  was  paid 
to  all  the  punctilious  ceremonials  of  courtly 
etiquette. 

When  the  bishop  was  about  to  administer 
the  oil  of  extreme  unction,  the  dying  queen  re 
quested  an  attendant  very  carefully  to  raise 
the  borders  of  her  cap,  lest  the  oil  should  touch 
them,  and  give  them  an  unpleasant  odor.  It, 
was  one  of  the  most  melancholy  and  impress- 
ive of  earthly  scenes.  The  king,  young,  sensi- 


1666.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          207 

Death  of  the  qaeen-mother.  Funeral  ceremonies 

tive,  and  easily  overcome  by  momentary  emo- 
tion, could  not  refrain  from  seeing  in  that  sad 
spectacle,  as  in  a  mirror,  his  own  inevitable  lot. 
He  fainted  entirely  away,  and  was  borne  sense- 
less from  the  apartment. 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th  or  8th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1666,  Anne  of  Austria  died.  Her  will 
was  immediately  brought  from  the  cabinet  and 
read.  She  bequeathed  her  heart  to  the  con- 
vent of  Yal  de  Grace.  It  was  taken  from  her 
body,  cased  in  a  costly  urn,  and  conveyed  to 
the  convent  in  a  carriage.  The  Archbishop 
of  Auch  seated  himself  beside  the  senseless 
relic,  while  the  Duchess  of  Montpensier  occu- 
pied another  seat  in  the  coach. 

At  7  o'clock  of  the  next  evening  the  re- 
mains of  the  queen  left  the  Louvre  for  the 
royal  sepulchre  at  St.  Denis.  It  was  a  gloomy 
winter's  night.  Many  torches  illumined  the 
path  of  the  procession,  exhibiting  to  the  thou- 
sands of  spectators  the  solemn  pageant  of  the 
burial.  The  ecclesiastics  and  the  monks,  in 
their  gorgeous  or  picturesque  robes,  the  royal 
sarcophagus,  the  sombre  light  of  the  torches, 
the  royal  coaches  in  funereal  drapery,  and  the 
wailing  requiems,  now  swelling  upon  the 
breeze,  and  now  dying  away,  blending  with 


208 


Louis  XIV. 


The  Abbey  of  St.  Denis. 


[1660, 


the  voices  of  tolling  bells,  presented  one  of  the 
most  mournful  and  instructive  of  earthly  spec- 
tacles. The  queen  had  passed  to  that  tribunal 
where  no  aristocratic  privileges  are  recognized, 
and  where  all  earthly  wealth  and  rank  are  dis- 
regarded. 

The  funeral  services  were  prolonged  and 
imposing.  It  was  not  until  two  hours  after 
midnight  that  the  remains  were  deposited  in 
the  vaults  of  the  venerable  abbey,  the  olde.-t 
Christian  church  in  France. 


IWTKRIOR   OF  ST.  BBNI8. 


The  death  of  the  queen-mother  does   not 


1666.]     DEATH  TN  THE  PALACE.         209 

Duchess  of  Vaujoure.  Madame  de  Montespau. 

seem  to  have  produced  much  effect  upon  the 
conduct  of  her  ambitious  and  pleasure-loving 
son.  He  had  cruelly  betrayed  the  young  and 
guileless  Mademoiselle  de  la  Valliere,  and1  she 
never  ceased  to  weep  over  her  sad  fate.  The 
king,  however,  conferred  upon  her  the  duchy 
of  Vaujours,  and  the  title  of  Madame.  Her 
beauty  began  to  fade.  Younger  and  happier 
faces  attracted  the  king.  He  became  more 
and  more  arrogant  and  domineering. 

There  was  at  that  time  rising  into  notice  in 
this  voluptuous  court  a  young  lady  who  was 
not  only  magnificently  beautiful,  but  extreme- 
ly  brilliant  in  her  intellectual  endowments. 
She  was  of  illustrious  birth,  and  was  lady  of 
the  palace  to  the  young  queen.  She  deliber- 
ately fixed  her  affections  upon  Louis,  and  re- 
solved to  employ  all  the  arts  of  personal  love- 
liness and  the  fascinations  of  wit  to  win  his 
exclusive  favor.  She  had  given  her  hand, 
constrained  by  her  family,  to  the  young  Mar- 
quis de  Montespan,  She  had,  however,  stated 
at  the  time  that  with  her  hand  she  did  not 
give  her  heart. 

The  young  marquis  seems  to  have  been  a 
very  worthy  man.  Disgusted  with  the  folly 
and  the  dissipation  of  the  court,  he  was  anxious 

1—14 


210  Louis  XIV.  [1666. 

DaJ!y  developments.  Duke  de  Mazarin — his  cynicism. 

to  withdraw  with  liis  beautiful  bride  to  his 
ample  estates  in  Provence.  She,  however,  en- 
tirely devoted  to  pleasure,  and  absorbed  in  her 
ambitious  designs,  refused  to  accompany  him, 
pleading  the  duty  she  owed  her  royal  mistress. 
He  went  alone.  Madame  de  Montespan  was 
thus  relieved  of  the  embarrassment  of  his  pres- 
ence. 

Louis  XIV.,  while  apparently  immersed  in 
frivolous  and  guilty  pleasures,  was  developing 
very  considerable  ability  as  a  sovereign.  It 
daily  became  more  clearly  manifest  that  he 
was  not  a  man  of  pleasure  merely;  that  he 
had  an  imperial  will,  and  that  he  was  endow- 
ed with  unusual  administrative  energies. 

The  Duke  de  Mazarin,  a  relative  and  rich 
heir  of  the  deceased  cardinal,  and  who  assumed 
an  austere  and  cynical  character,  ventured  on 
one  occasion,  when  displeased  with  some  act 
of  the  king,  to  approach  him  in  the  presence 
of  several  persons  and  say, 

"  Sire,  Saint  Genevieve  appeared  to  me  last 
night.  She  is  much  offended  by  the  conduct 
of  your  majesty,  and  has  foretold  to  me  that  if 
you  do  not  reform  your  morals  the  greatest 
misfortunes  will  fall  upon  your  kingdom." 

The  whole  circle   stood  aghast  at  his   ef- 


1667.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          211 

He  is  silenced  by  the  king.  Sale  of  Dunkirk. 

frontery.  But  the  king,  without  exhibiting 
the  slightest  emotion,  in  slow  and  measured  ac- 
cents, replied, 

"  And  I,  Monsieur  de  Mazarin,  have  recent- 
ly had  several  visions,  by  which  I  have  been 
warned  that  the  late  cardinal,  your  uncle,  plun- 
dered my  people,  and  that  it  is  time  to  make 
his  heirs  disgorge  the  booty.  Remember  this, 
and  be  persuaded  that  the  very  next  time  you 
permit  yourself  to  offer  me  unsolicited  advice, 
I  shall  act  upon  the  mysterious  information  I 
have  received." 

The  duke  attempted  no  reply.  Such  devel- 
opments of  character  effectually  warded  off  all 
approaches  of  familiarity. 

The  fugitive  and  needy  Charles  II.  had  sold 
to  Louis  XIV.,  for  about  one  million  of  dollars, 
the  important  commercial  town  of  Dunkirk,  in 
French  Flanders.  The  king,  well  aware  of  the 
importance  of  the  position,  had  employed  thir- 
ty thousand  men  to  fortify  the  place. 

Louis  now  sent  an  army  of  thirty-five  thou- 
sand men,  in  the  highest  state  of  military  dis- 
cipline, to  seize  the  coveted  Spanish  provinces 
of  Flanders  and  Franche-Comte.  At  the  same 
time,  he  sent  a  reserve  of  eight  thousand  troops 
to  Dunkirk.  The  widowed  Queen  of  Spain, 


212  Louis  XI T.  [1667. 

I?  (consistencies  in  the  character  of  Louis. 

acting  as  regent  for  her  infant  son,  could  make 
no  effectual  resistance.  She  had  but  eight  thou- 
sand troops,  in  small  garrisons,  scattered  over 
those  provinces.  The  march  of  the  French 
army  was  but  as  a  holiday  excursion.  Fortress 
after  fortress  fell  into  their  hands.  Soon  the 
banners  of  Louis  floated  proudly  over  the  whole 
territory.  The  king  displayed  his  sagacity  by 
granting  promotion  for  services  rendered  rath- 
er than  to  birth.  This  inspired  the  army  with 
great  ardor.  lie  also  boldly  entered  the  trench- 
es under  fire,  and  exposed  himself  to  the  most 
imminent  peril. 

The  opposite  side  of  the  king's  character  is 
displayed  in  the  fact  that  he  accompanied  the 
camp  with  all  the  ladies  of  his  court,  eighteen 
in  number.  In  each  captured  city,  the  king 
and  court,  in  magnificent  banqueting-halls  and 
gorgeous  saloons,  indulged  in  the  gayest  rev- 
elry. Amidst  the  turmoil  of  the  camp,  these 
haughty  men  and  high-born  dames  surround- 
ed themselves  with  the  magnificence  of  the 
Louvre  and  the  Tuileries,  and  were  served  with 
every  delicacy  from  gold  and  silver  plate. 

The  king,  by  the  advice  of  his  renowned 
minister  of  war,  Marshal  Louvois,  placed  strong 
jrarrisons  in  the  cities  he  had  captured,  while 


1667.]     DEATH   IN   THE  PALACE.         213 

Treachery  of  Monteepan.  Sorrows  of  Louise. 

the  celebrated  engineer,  JV1.  Vauban,  was  in- 
trusted with  enlarging  and  strengthening  the 
fortifications.  From  this  victorious  campaign 
Louis  XIV.  returned  to  Paris,  receiving  adu- 
lation from  the  courtiers  as  if  he  were  more 
than  mortal. 

Madame  de  Moiitespan  accompanied  the 
court  on  this  military  pleasure  tour.  She 
availed  herself  of  every  opportunity  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  king  and  ingratiate  herself 
in  his  favor.  She  so  far  succeeded  in  exciting 
the  jealousy  of  the  queen  against  Madame  de 
la  Valliere,  upon  whom  she  was  at  the  same 
time  lavishing  her  most  tender  caresses,  that 
her  majesty  treated  the  sensitive  and  despond- 
ing favorite  with  such  rudeness  that,  with  a 
crushed  spirit,  she  decided  to  leave  the  court 
and  retire  to  Versailles,  there  to  await  the  con- 
clusion of  the  campaign.  The  king,  however, 
interposed  to  prevent  her  departure,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  was  daily  treating  her  with 
more  marked  neglect,  as  he  turned  his  attention 
to  the  rival,  now  rapidly  gaining  the  ascendency. 
The  unfortunate  Louise  was  doomed  to  daily 
martyrdom.  She  could  not  be  blind  to  the  fact 
that  the  king's  love  was  fast  waning.  Con- 
science tortured  her,  and  she  wept  bitterly. 


214  Louis  XIV.  [1667. 

Letters  of  the  Marqnis  de  Montespan. 

Before  her  there  was  opened  only  the  vista  of 
weary  years  of  neglect  and  remorse. 

Bat  the  Marchioness  of  Montespan  was 
mingling  for  herself  a  cup  of  bitterness  which 
she,  in  her  turn,  was  to  drain  to  its  dregs.  Her 
noble  husband  wrote  most  imploring  letters, 
beseeching  her  to  return  to  him  with  their  in- 
fant child. 

"Come,"  he  wrote  in  one  of  his  letters,  "and 
take  a  near  view,  my  dear  Athenais,  of  these 
stupendous  Pyrenees,  whose  every  ravine  is  a 
landscape,  and  every  valley  an  Eden.  To  all 
these  beauties  yours  alone  is  wanting.  You 
will  be  here  like  Diana,  the  divinity  of  these 
noble  forests." 

The  excuses  which  the  marchioness  offered 
did  by  no  means  satisfy  her  husband.  Ilis 
heart  was  wounded  and  his  suspicions  aroused. 
At  last  he  was  apprised  of  her  manifest  en- 
deavors to  attract  the  attention  of  the  king. 
He  wrote  severely;  informed  her  of  the  extent 
of  his  knowledge.  He  threatened  to  expose  her 
conduct  to  her  own  family,  and  to  shut  her  up 
in  a  convent.  At  the  same  time,  he  command- 
ed her  to  send  to  him,  by  the  messenger  who 
bore  his  letter,  their  little  son,  that  he  might 
not  be  contaminated  by  association  with  so  un- 
worthy a  mother. 


1667.]     DEATH   IN  THE  PALACE.         215 

Alarm  of  the  marchioness.  Cowardice  of  the  Pope. 

It  was  too  late.  The  marchioness  was  in- 
volved in  such  guilty  relations  with  the  king 
that  she  could  not  easily  be  extricated.  Still 
she  was  much  alarmed  by  the  angry  letter  of 
her  husband.  The  king  perceived  her  anxiety, 
and  inquired  the  cause.  She  placed  the  letter 
in  his  hands.  He  read  it,  changing  color  as  he 
read.  He  then  coolly  remarked, 

"  Our  position  is  a  difficult  one.  It  requires 
much  precaution.  I  will,  however,  take  care 
that  no  violence  shall  be  offered  you.  You  had 
better,  however,  send  him  your  son.  The  child 
is  useless  here,  and  perhaps  inconvenient.  The 
marquis,  deprived  of  the  child,  may  be  driven 
to  acts  of  severity." 

A  mother's  love  was  strong  in  the  bosom  of 
the  marchioness.  She  wept  aloud,  and  de- 
clared that  she  would  sooner  die  than  part  with 
her  son.  Her  husband  soon  after  came  to  Par- 
is. He  addressed  the  king  in  a  very  firm  and 
reproachful  letter,  and  for  three  months  made 
earnest  applications  to  the  pope  for  a  divorce. 
But  the  pope,  afraid  of  offending  Louis  XIV., 
turned  a  deaf  ear  to  his  supplications.  It  was 
in  vain  for  a  noble,  however  exalted  his  rank, 
to  contend  against  the  king. 

The  injured  marquis,  finding  all  his  efforts 


216  Louis  XIV.  [1667. 

Sorrow  of  the  marquis.  Vexation  of  Louie. 

vain,  returned  wifeless  and  childless  to  his 
chateau.  Announcing  that  to  him  his  wife 
was  dead,  he  assumed  the  deepest  mourning, 
draped  his  house  and  the  liveries  of  his  serv- 
ants in  crape,  and  ordered  a  funeral  service  to 
take  place  in  the  parish  church.  A  numerous 
concourse  attended,  and  all  the  sad  ceremonies 
of  burial  were  solemnized. 

The  king  was  greatly  annoyed.  The  scan- 
dal, which  spread  throughout  the  kingdom, 
placed  him  in  a  very  unenviable  position.  The 
marquis  would  probably  have  passed  the  rest 
of  his  life  in  one  of  the  oubliettes  of  the  Baa- 
tile  had  he  not  escaped  from  France.  Madame 
de  Montespan,  in  her  wonderfully  frank  Me- 
moirs, records  all  these  facts  without  any  ap- 
parent consciousness  of  the  infamy  to  which 
they  consign  her  memory.  She  even  claims 
the  merit  of  protecting  her  injured  husband 
from  the  dungeon,  saying, 

"  Not  being  naturally  of  a  bad  disposition,  I 
never  would  allow  of  his  being  sent  to  the  Ba»- 
tile." 

There  were  continual  antagonisms  arising 
between  Madame  de  laValliere  and  Madame 
de  Montespan.  They  were  both  ladies  of  hon- 
or in  the  household  of  the  queen,  who.  silent 


1667.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          217 

Petty  jealousies.  Employments  of  the  king. 

and  sad,  and  ever  seeking  retirement,  endeav- 
ored to  close  her  eyes  to  the  guilty  scenes  trans- 
piring around  her.  Sin  invariably  brings  sor- 
row. The  king,  supremely  selfish  as  he  was, 
must  have  been  a  stranger  to  any  peace  of 
mind.  He  professed  full  faith  in  Christianity. 
Even  lost  spirits  may  believe  and  tremble. 
The  precepts  of  Jesus  were  often  faithfully 
proclaimed  from  the  pulpit  in  his  hearing. 
Remorse  must  have  frequently  tortured  his 
soul. 

From  these  domestic  tribulations  he  sought 
relief  in  the  vigorous  prosecution  of  his  plans 
for  national  aggrandizement.  He  plunged  into 
diplomatic  intrigues,  marshaled  armies,  built 
ships,  multiplied  and  enlarged  his  sea-ports,  es 
tablished  colonies,  reared  magnificent  edifices, 
encouraged  letters,  and  with  great  sagacity 
pushed  all  enterprises  which  could  add  to  the 
glory  and  power  of  France. 

The  king  had  never  been  on  good  terms  with 
his  brother  Philip.  Louis  was  arrogant  and 
domineering.  Philip  was  jealous,  and  not  dis- 
posed obsequiously  to  bow  the  knee  to  his  im- 
perious brother.  The  king  was  unrelenting  in 
the  exactions  of  etiquette.  There  were  three 
seats  used  in  the  presence  of  royalty :  the  arm- 


218  Louis  XI \r.  [1667. 

Kemarks  of  Louis  upon  court  etiquette. 

chair,  for  members  of  the  royal  family;  the 
folded  chair,  something  like  a  camp-stool,  for 
the  highest  of  the  nobility ;  and  the  bench,  for 
other  dignitaries  who  were  honored  with  a  res- 
idence at  court.  Philip  demanded  of  his  broth- 
er that  his  wife,  Henrietta,  the  daughter  of 
Charles  I.  of  England,  and  the  sister  of  Louis 
XIII.,  being  of  royal  blood,  should  be  allowed 
the  privilege  of  taking  an  arm-chair  in  the  sa- 
loons of  the  queen.  The  king  made  the  fol- 
lowing remarkable  reply : 

"  That  can  not  be  permitted.  I  beg  of  you 
not  to  persist  in  such  a  request.  It  was  not  I 
who  established  these  distinctions.  They  ex- 
isted long  before  you  and  I  were  born.  It  is 
for  your  interest  that  the  dignity  of  the  crown 
should  neither  be  weakened  or  encroached 
upon.  If  from  Duke  of  Orleans  you  should 
one  day  become  King  of  France,  I  know  you 
well  enough  to  believe  that  this  is  a  point  on 
which  you  would  be  inexorable. 

"  In  the  presence  of  God,  you  and  I  are  two 
beings  precisely  similar  to  our  fellow-men ; 
but  in  the  eyes  of  men  we  appear  as  some- 
thing extraordinary,  superior,  greater,  and 
more  perfect  than  others.  The  day  on  which 
the  people  cast  off  this  respect  and  this  voinn- 


1667.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          219 

They  are  unanswerable.  Conquest  of  Holland  determined  on. 

tary  veneration,  by  which  alone  monarchy  is 
upheld,  they  will  see  us  only  their  equals,  suf- 
fering from  the  same  evils,  and  subject  to  the 
same  weaknesses  as  themselves.  This  once  ac- 
complished, all  illusion  will  be  over.  The  laws, 
no  longer  sustained  by  a  controlling  power,  will 
become  black  lines  upon  white  paper.  Your 
chair  without  arms  and  my  arm-chair  will  be 
simply  two  pieces  of  furniture  of  equal  impor- 
tance." 

To  these  forcible  remarks,  indicating  deep 
reflection,  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  a  nobleman 
rioting  in  boundless  wealth,  and  enjoying 
amazing  feudal  privileges,  could  make  no  re- 
ply. The  coronet  of  the  noble  and  the  crown 
of  the  absolute  king  would  both  fall  to  the 
ground  so  soon  as  the  masses  of  the  people 
should  escape  from  the  thrall  of  ignorance  and 
deception.  Philip  left  his  brother  silenced,  yet 
exasperated.  A  petty  warfare  was  carried  on 
between  them,  by  which  they  daily  became 
more  alienated  from  each  other. 

The  king,  elated  by  his  easy  conquest  of 
Flanders,  resolved  to  seize  upon  Holland,  and 
then  proceed  to  annex  to  France  the  whole  of 
the  Low  Countries.  The  Dutch,  a  maritime 
peoi}le,thongh  powerful  at  sea,  had  but  a  feeble 


220  Louis  XIV.  [1668. 

Henrietta  embasaadress  to  England.  Louise  R6n6«. 

land  force.  Holland  was  in  alliance  with  En- 
gland. The  first  object  of  Louis  was  to  dis- 
solve this  alliance. 

There  were  two  influences,  money  and  beau- 
ty, which  were  omnipotent  with  the  contempt- 
ible Charles  II.  Henrietta,  the  wife  of  Philip, 
was  sent  as  embassadress  to  the  court  of  her 
brother.  The  whole  French  court  escorted  her 
to  the  coast.  The  pomp  displayed  on  this  oc- 
casion surpassed  any  thing  which  had  hereto- 
fore been  witnessed  in  France.  The  escort 
consisted  of  thirty  thousand  men  in  the  van 
and  the  rear  of  the  royal  cortege.  The  most 
beautiful  women  of  the  court  accompanied  the 
queen.  Maria  Theresa,  the  queen,  and  Henri- 
etta, occupied  the  same  coach.  The  ladies  of 
their  households  followed  in  their  carriages. 

The  king's  two  favorites — Madame  de  la 
Valliere,  whose  beauty  and  power  were  on 
the  wane,  and  Madame  de  Montespan,  who 
was  then  in  the  zenith  of  her  triumph — were 
often  invited  by  the  king  to  take  a  seat  in  the 
royal  carriage  by  the  side  of  the  queen  and 
Madame.  The  most  beautiful  woman  then  in 
the  French  court  was  Louise  Re'ne'e,  subse- 
quently known  in  English  annals  as  the  Duch- 
ess of  Portsmouth.  She  was  to  accompany 


1668.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          221 

The  bribe.  Constant  bickerings. 

her  royal  mistress  to  the  court  of  Charles  II., 
and  had  received  secret  instructions  from  the 
king  in  reference  to  the  influence  she  was  to 
exert.  Louise  Renee  was  to  be  the  bribe  and 
the  motive  power  to  control  the  king. 

Brilliant  as  was  this  royal  cortege,  the  jour- 
ney, to  its  prominent  actors,  was  a  very  sad 
one.  The  queen,  pliant  and  submissive  as  she 
usually  was,  could  not  refrain  from  some  ex- 
pressions of  bitterness  in  being  forced  to  such 
intimate  companionship  with  her  rivals  in  the 
king's  favor.  There  were  also  constant  heart- 
burnings and  bickerings,  which  etiquette  could 
not  restrain,  between  Philip  and  his  spouse 
Henrietta.  Madame  was  going  to  London  as 
the  confidential  messenger  of  the  king,  and  she 
refused  to  divulge  to  her  husband  the  purpose 
of  her  visit.  Louis  XIV.  was  embarrassed  by 
three  ladies,  each  of  whom  claimed  his  exclu- 
sive attention,  and  each  of  whom  was  angry  if 
he  smiled  upon  either  of  the  others.  In  such 
a  party  there  could  be  no  happiness. 

As  this  gorgeous  procession,  crowding  leagues 
of  the  road,  swept  along,  few  of  the  amazed 
peasants  who  gazed  upon  the  glittering  specta- 
cle could  have  suspected  the  misery  which  was 
gnawing  at  the  heart  of  these  high-born  men 


222  Louis  XIV.  [1669. 

Alliance  between  France  aud  England.  Festivities  thereou. 

and  proud  dames.  Upon  arriving  at  the  coast, 
Henrietta,  with  her  magnificent  suite,  embark- 
ed for  England.  The  negotiation  was  perfect- 
ly successful.  The  fascinating  Louise  Rene'e 
immediately  made  the  entire  conquest  of  the 
king.  Her  consent  to  remain  a  member  of  his 
court,  and  the  offer  of  several  millions  of  money 
to  Charles  II.,  secured  his  assent  to  whatever 
the  French  king  desirad.  It  is  said  that  he 
the  more  readily  abandoned  his  alliance  with 
Holland,  since  he  hated  the  Protestants  there, 
whose  religion  so  severely  condemned  his 
worthless  character  and  wretched  life.  A 
treaty  of  alliance  was  speedily  drawn  up  be- 
tween Charles  II.  and  Louis  XIV. 

His  Britannic  majesty  then,  with  a  splendid 
retinue,  accompanied  his  sister  Henrietta  to  the 
coast,  where  she  embarked  for  Calais.  The 
French  court  met  her  there  with  all  honors. 
The  return  to  Paris  was  slow.  At  every  im- 
portant town  the  court  tarried  for  a  season 
of  festivities.  Henrietta,  or  Madame,  as  the 
French  invariably  entitled  her,  established  her 
court  at  St.  Cloud.  Her  husband,  Monsieur, 
was  very  much  irritated  against  her.  Neither 
of  them  took  any  pains  to  conceal  from  others 
their  alienation. 


tC69.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.         223 

Maria  Theresa.  Vivacity  of  Henrietta. 

Madame  was  in  the  ripeness  of  her  rare  beau- 
ty, and  enjoyed  great  influence  in  the  court 
The  poor  queen,  Maria  Theresa,  was  but  a 
cipher.  She  was  heart-crushed,  and  devoted 
herself  to  the  education  of  her  children,  and 
to  the  society  of  a  few  Spanish  ladies  whom 
she  had  assembled  around  her.  The  king, 
grateful  for  the  services  which  Henrietta  had 
rendered  him  in  England,  and  alike  fascinated 
by  her  loveliness  and  her  vivacity,  was  lavish- 
ing upon  her  his  constant  and  most  marked  at- 
tentions, not  a  little  to  the  chagrin  of  her  irri- 
tated and  jealous  husband. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1669,  Henrietta  rose  at 
an  early  hour,  and,  after  some  conversation 
with  Madame  de  Lafayette,  to  whom  she  de- 
clared she  was  in  admirable  health,  she  attend- 
ed mass,  and  then  went  to  the  room  of  her 
daughter,  Mademoiselle  d'Orleans.  She  was  in 
glowing  spirits,  and  enlivened  the  whole  com- 
pany by  her  vivacious  conversation.  After  call- 
ing for  a  glass  of  succory  water,  which  she 
drank,  she  dined.  The  party  then  repaired  to 
the  saloon  of  Monsieur.  He  was  sitting  for  his 
portrait.  Henrietta,  reclining  upon  a  lounge, 
apparently  fell  into  a  doze.  Her  friends  were 
struck  with  the  haggard  and  deathly  expres- 


224:  Louis  XIV.  [1669. 

Henrietta  poisoned. 

sion  which  her  countenance  suddenly  assumed, 
when  she  sprang  up  with  cries  of  agony.  All 
were  greatly  alarmed.  Her  husband  appeared 
as  much  so  as  the  rest.  She  called  for  another 
draught  of  succory  water.  It  was  brought  to 
her  in  an  enameled  cup  from  which  she  was 
accustomed  to  drink. 

She  took  the  cup  in  one  hand,  and  then, 
pressing  her  hand  to  her  side  in  a  spasm  of 
pain ,  exclaimed, "  I  can  scarcely  breathe.  Take 
me  away — take  me  away !  I  can  support  my- 
self no  longer."  With  much  difficulty  she  was 
led  to  her  chamber  by  her  terrified  attendants. 
There  she  threw  herself  upon  her  bed  in  con- 
vulsions of  agony,  crying  out  that  she  was  dy- 
ing, and  praying  that  her  confessor  might  im- 
mediately be  sent  for.  Three  physicians  were 
speedily  in  attendance.  Her  husband  entered 
her  chamber  and  kneeled  at  her  bedside.  She 
threw  her  arms  around  his  neck,  exclaiming. 

"Alas!  you  have  long  ceased  to  love  me; 
but  you  are  unjust,  for  I  have  never  wronged 
you."  Suddenly  she  raised  herself  upon  her 
elbow,  and  said  to  those  weeping  around  her, 
"I  have  been  poisoned  by  the  succory  water 
which  I  have  drank.  Probably  there  has  been 
some  mistake.  I  am  sure,  however,  that  I  have 


1669.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          225 

Intense  suffering.  Arrival  of  the  king. 

been  poisoned.  Unless  you  wish  to  see  me 
die,  you  must  immediately  administer  some 
antidote." 

Her  husband  did  not  seem  at  all  agitated  by 
this  statement,  but  directed  that  some  of'  the 
succory  water  should  be  given  to  a  dog  to  as- 
certain its  effects.  Madame  Desbordes,  the  first 
femme  de  chambre,  who  had  prepared  the  bev- 
erage, declared  that  the  experiment  should  be 
made  upon  herself.  She  immediately  poured 
out  a  glass,  and  drank  it. 

Various  antidotes  for  poisons  were  adminis- 
tered. They  created  the  most  deadly  sickness, 
without  changing  the  symptoms  or  alleviating 
the  pain.  It  soon  became  evident  that  the 
princess  was  dying.  The  livid  complexion, 
glassy  eyes,  and  shrunken  nose  and  lips,  show- 
ed that  some  agent  of  terrific  power  was  con- 
suming her  life.  A  chill  perspiration  oozed 
from  her  forehead,  her  pulse  was  impercepti- 
ble, and  her  extremities  icy  cold. 

The  king  soon  arrived,  accompanied  by  the 
queen.  Louis  XIV.  was  greatly  affected  by 
the  changed  appearance  and  manifestly  dying 
condition  of  Henrietta.  He  sat  upon  one  side 
of  the  bed  and  Monsieur  upon  the  other,  both 
weeping  bitterly.  The  agony  of  the  princess 

1—15 


226  Louis  XIV.  [1669, 

Death  scene  of  Henrietta.  Suspicion  of  Louis. 

was  dreadful.  In  most  imploring  tones  she 
begged  that  something  might  be  done  to  miti- 
gate her  sufferings.  The  attendant  physicians 
announced  that  she  was  dying.  Extreme  unc- 
tion was  administered,  the  crucifix  fell  from 
her  hand,  a  convulsive  shuddering  shook  her 
frame,  and  Henrietta  was  dead. 

"  Only  nine  hours  previously,  Henrietta  of 
England  had  been  full  of  life,  and  loveliness, 
and  hope,  the  idol  of  a  court,  and  the  centre  of 
the  most  brilliant  circle  in  Europe.  And  now, 
as  the  tearful  priest  arose  from  his  knees,  the 
costly  curtains  ot  embroidered  velvet  were 
•drawn  around  a  cold,  pale,  motionless,  and  liv- 
id corpse." 

A  post-mortem  examination  revealed  the 
presence  of  poison  so  virulent  in  its  action  that 
a  portion  of  the  stomach  was  destroyed.  Dread- 
ful suspicion  rested  upon  her  husband.  The 
king,  in  a  state  of  intense  agitation,  summoned 
his  brother  to  his  presence,  and  demanded  that 
he  should  confess  his  share  in  the  murder. 
Monsieur  clasped  in  his  hand  the  insignia  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  which  he  wore  about  his  neck, 
and  took  the  most  solemn  oath  that  he  was 
both  directly  and  indirectly  innocent  of  the 
>death  of  his  wife.  Still  the  circumstantial 


1669.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          22? 


Development  of  facts. 


evidence  was  so  strong  against  him  that  he 
could  not  escape  the  terrible  suspicion. 

Notwithstanding  the  absolute  proof  that  the 
death  of  the  princess  was  caused  by  poison, 
still  an  official  statement  was  soon  made  out, 
addressed  to  the  British  court,  and  widely  pro- 
mulgated, in  which  it  was  declared  that  the 
princess  died  of  a  malignant  attack  of  bilious 
fever.  Several  physicians  were  bribed  to  sign 
this  declaration. 

Notwithstanding  this  statement,  the  king 
made  vigorous  exertions  to  discover  the  perpe- 
trators of  the  crime.  The  following  facts  were 
soon  brought  to  light.  The  king,  some  time  be- 
fore, much  displeased  with  the  Chevalier  de 
Lorraine,  a  favorite  and  adviser  of  Monsieur, 
angrily  arrested  him,  and  imprisoned  him  in 
the  Chateau  d'lf,  a  strong  and  renowned  for- 
tress on  Marguerite  Island,  opposite  Cannes. 
Here  he  was  treated  with  great  rigor.  He  was 
not  allowed  to  correspond,  or  even  to  speak 
with  any  persons  but  those  on  duty  within  the 
fortress.  Monsieur  was  exceedingly  irritated 
by  this  despotic  act.  He  ventured  loudly  to 
upbraid  his  brother,  and  bitterly  accused  Ma- 
dame of  having  caused  the  arrest  of  his  bosom 
friend,  the  chevalier. 


228  Louis  XIV.  [1669. 

Statements  of  M.  Pernon. 

Circumstances  directed  the  very  strong  sus- 
picions of  the  king  to  M.  Pernon,  controller  of 
the  household  of  the  princess,  as  being  impli- 
cated in  the  murder.  The  king  ordered  him 
to  be  secretly  arrested,  and  brought  by  a  back 
staircase  to  the  royal  cabinet.  Every  attend- 
ant was  dismissed,  and  his  majesty  remained 
alone  with  the  prisoner.  Fixing  his  eyes  stern- 
ly upon  the  countenance  of  M.  Pernon,  Louis 
said, "  If  you  reveal  every  circumstance  rela- 
tive to  the  death  of  Madame,  I  promise  you 
full  pardon.  If  you  are  guilty  of  the  slightest 
concealment  or  prevarication,  your  life  shall  be 
the  forfeit." 

The  controller  then  confessed  that  the  Chev- 
alier de  Lorraine  had,  through  the  hands  of  a 
country  gentleman,  M.  Morel,  who  was  not  at 
all  conscious  of  the  nature  of  the  commission 
he  wras  fulfilling,  sent  the  poison  to  two  con- 
federates at  St.  Cloud.  This  package  was  de- 
livered to  the  Marquis  d'Effiat  and  Count  de 
Beuvron,  intimate  friends  of  the  chevalier,  and. 
who  had  no  hope  that  he  would  be  permitted 
to  return  to  Paris  so  long  as  Madame  lived. 
The  Marquis  d'Effiat  contrived  to  enter  the 
closet  of  the  princess,  and  rubbed  the  poison 
on  the  inside  of  the  enar~"lQ<l  cup  from  which 


•  1669.J     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          229 


Testimony  of  M.  Pernon. 


Henrietta  was  invariably  accustomed  to  drink 
her  favorite  beverage. 

The  king  listened  intently  to  this  statement, 
pressed  his  forehead  with  his  hand,  and  then 
inquired,  in  tones  which  indicated  that  he  was 
almost  afraid  to  put  the  question,  "And  Mon- 
sieur— was  he  aware  of  this  foul  plot  ?" 

"  No,  sire,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "Mon- 
sieur can  not  keep  a  secret;  we  did  not  ven- 
ture to  confide  in  him." 

Louis  appeared  much  relieved.  After  a  mo- 
ment's pause,  he  asked,  with  evident  anxiety, 
"Will  you  swear  to  this?" 

"  On  my  soul,  sire,"  was  the  reply. 

The  king  asked  no  more.  Summoning  an 
officer  of  the  household,  he  said, "  Conduct  M. 
Pernon  to  the  gate  of  the  palace,  and  set  him 
at  liberty." 

Such  events  were  so  common  in  the  courts 
of  feudal  despotism  in  those  days  of  crime, 
that  this  atrocious  murder  seems  to  have  pro- 
duced but  a  momentary  impression.  Poor 
Henrietta  was  soon  forgotten.  The  tides  of 
gayety  and  fashion  ebbed  and  flowed  as  ever 
through  the  saloons  of  the  royal  palaces.  No 
one  was  punished.  It  would  hardly  have  been 
decorous  for  the  king  to  hang  men  for  the  mur- 


* 


230  Louis  XIV.  [1009.  • 

Return  of  Chevalier  de  Lorraine.  Marriage  of  Monsieur. 

der  of  the  princess,  when  he  had  solemnly  an- 
nounced that  she  had  died  of  a  bilious  fever. 
The  Chevalier  de  Lorraine  was  ere  long  re- 
called to  court.  There  he  lived  in  unbridled 
profligacy,  enjoying  an  annual  income  of  one 
hundred  thousand  crowns,  till  death  summoned 
him  to  a  tribunal  where  neither  wealth  nor 
rank  can  purchase  exemption  from  crime. 

Henrietta,  who  was  but  twenty-six  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  her  death,  left  two  daugh- 
ters, but  no  son.  Monsieur  soon  dried  his  tears. 
He  sought  a  new  marriage  with  his  rich,  re- 
nowned cousin,  the  Duchess  of  Montpensier. 
But  she  declined  his  offered  hand.  With  in- 
conceivable caprice,  she  was  fixing  her  affec- 
tions upon  a  worthless  adventurer,  a  miserable 
coxcomb,  the  Duke  de  Lauzun,  who  was  then ' 
disgracing  by  his  presence  the  court  of  the 
Louvre.  This  singular  freak,  an  additional  ev- 
idence that  there  is  no  accounting  for  the  va- 
garies of  love,  astonished  all  the  courts  of  Eu- 
rope. Monsieur  then  turned  to  the  Princess 
Charlotte  Elizabeth  of  Bavaria.  The  alliance 
was  one  dictated  by  state  policy.  Monsieur 
reluctantly  assented  to  it  under  the  moral  com- 
pulsion of  the  king.  The  advent  of  this  most 
•eccentric  of  women  at  the  French  court  created 


1670.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          231 


Portrait  of  Charlotte  Elizabeth. 


general  astonishment  and  almost  consternation. 
She  despised  etiquette,  and  dressed  in  the  moot 
outrb  fashion,  while  she  displayed  energies  of 
mind  and  sharpness  of  tongue  which  brought 
all  in  awe  of  her.  The  following  is  the  por- 
trait which  this  princess,  eighteen  years  of  ager 
has  drawn  of  herself : 

"  I  was  born  in  Heidelberg  in  1652.  I  must 
necessarily  be  ugly,  for  1  have  no  features, 
email  eyes,  a  short,  thick  nose,  and  long,  flat 
lips.  Such  a  combination  as  this  can  not  pro- 
duce a  physiognomy.  I  have  heavy  hanging- 
cheeks  and  a  large  face,  and  nevertheless  am 
short  and  thick.  To  sum  up  all,  I  am  an  ugly 
little  object.  If  I  had  not  a  good  heart,  I 
should  not  be  bearable  any  where.  To  ascer- 
tain if  my  eyes  have  any  expression,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  examine  them  with  a  micro- 
scope. There  could  not  probably  be  found  on 
earth  hands  more  hideous  than  mine.  The 
king  has  often  remarked  it  to  me,  and  made 
me  laugh  heartily.  Not  being  able  with  any 
conscience  to  flatter  myself  that  I  possessed 
any  thing  good  looking,  I  have  made  up  my 
mind  to  laugh  at  my  own  ugliness.  1  have 
found  the  plan  very  successful,  and  frequently 
discover  plenty  to  laugh  at." 


232  Louis  XI Y.  [1670. 

Her  power  of  sarcasm. 

Notwithstanding  the  princess  was  ready  to 
speak  of  herself  in  these  terms  of  ridicule,  she 
was  by  no  means  disposed  to  grant  the  same 
privilege  to  others.  She  was  a  woman  of  keen 
observation,  and  was  ever  ready  to  resent  any 
offense  with  the  most  sarcastic  retaliation.  She 
perceived  very  clearly  the  sensation  which  her 
presence,  and  the  manners  which  she  had  very 
deliberately  chosen  to  adopt,  had  excited.  Ma- 
dame de  Fienne  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
wits  of  the  court.  She  ventured  to  make  her- 
self and  others  merry  over  the  oddities  of  the 
newly-arrived  Duchess  of  Orleans,  in  whose 
court  both  herself  and  her  husband  were  pen- 
sioners. The  duchess  took  her  by  the  hand, 
led  her  aside,  and,  riveting  upon  her  her  mi- 
quailing  eye,  said,  in  slow  and  emphatic  tones, 

"  Madame;  you  are  very  amiable  and  very 
witty.  You  possess  a  style  of  conversation 
which  is  endured  by  the  king  and  by  Mon- 
sieur because  they  are  accustomed  to  it ;  but 
I,  who  am  only  a  recent  arrival  at  the  court, 
am  less  familiar  with  its  spirit.  I  forewarn 
you  that  I  become  incensed  when  I  am  made 
a  subject  of  ridicule.  For  this  reason,  I  was 
anxious  to  give  you  a  slight  warning.  If  you 
spare  me,  we  shall  get  on  very  well  together ; 


1670.]     DEATH  IN  THE  PALACE.          233 

Sharp  reproof  of  Madame  de  Fienne. 

but  if,  on  the  contrary,  you  treat  me  as  you 
do  others,  I  shall  say  nothing  to  yourself,  but  I 
shall  complain  to  your  husband,  and  if  he  does 
not  correct  you,  I  shall  dismiss  him." 

The  hint  was  sufficient.  Neither  Madame 
de  Fienne  nor  any  other  lady  of  the  court  ven- 
tured after  this  to  utter  a  word  of  witticism  on 
the  subject  of  the  Duchess  of  Orleans. 


234  LOUIS  XIV. 

Louis's  fondness  for  jewels. 


CHAPTER  VIL 
THE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND. 

MADAME  DE  MONTESPAN  was  m.w 
the  reigning  favorite.  The  conscience- 
stricken  king  could  not  endure  to  think  of 
death.  He  studiedly  excluded  from  observa- 
tion every  thing  which  could  remind  him  of 
that  doom  of  mortals.  All  the  badges  of 
mourning  were  speedily  laid  aside,  and  efforts 
were  made  to  banish  from  the  court  the  mem- 
ory of  the  young  and  beautiful  Princess  Hen- 
rietta, whose  poisoned  body  was  mouldering  to 
dust  in  the  tomb. 

The  king  had  a  childish  fondness  for  bril- 
liant gems.  In  his  cabinet  he  had  a  massive 
and  costly  secretary  of  elaborately  carved  rose- 
wood. Upon  its  shelves  he  had  arrayed  the 
crown  jewels,  which  he  often  handled  and  ex- 
amined with  the  same  delight  with  which  a 
miser  counts  his  gold. 

Mademoiselle  de  Montpensier,  in  her  inter- 
esting Memoirs,  relates  the  following  anecdote, 
which  throws  interesting  light  upon  the  char- 


1670.]      A  HE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND.          235 

Anecdote.  Superstitions  of  Louis. 

acter  of  the  king  at  this  time.  It  will  be  re 
membered  that  Louis  XIV.  was  born  in  one  of 
the  palaces  at  St.  Germain,  about  fifteen  miles 
from  Paris.  The  magnificent  terrace  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  winding  Seine  commands  per- 
haps as  enchanting  a  view  as  can  be  found  any 
where  in  this  world.  The  domes  and  towers 
of  Paris  appear  far  away  in  the  north.  The 
wide,  luxuriant  valley  of  the  Seine,  studded 
with  villages  and  imposing  castles,  lies  spread 
out  in  beautiful  panorama  before  the  eye.  The 
king  had  expended  between  one  and  two  mil- 
lions of  dollars  in  embellishing  the  royal  resi- 
dences here.  But  as  the  conscience  of  the  king 
became  more  sensitive,  and  repeated  deaths 
forced  upon  him  the  conviction  that  he  too 
must  eventually  die,  St.  Germain  not  only  lost 
all  its  charms,  but  became  a  place  obnoxious  to 
him.  From  the  terrace  there  could  be  dis- 
tinctly seen,  a  few  leagues  to  the  east,  the  tower 
and  spire  of  St.  Denis,  the  burial-place  of  the 
kings  of  France.  To  Louis  it  suddenly  became 
as  torturing  a  sight  as  to  have  had  his  coffin 
ostentatiously  displayed  in  his  banqueting-hall. 
When  Anne  of  Austria  was  lying  on  her  bed 
of  suffering,  the  king  was  one  day  pacing  alone 
the  terrace  of  St.  Germain.  Dark  clouds  were 


236  Louis  XI V.  [1670. 

Hie  dread  of  the  towers  of  St.  Denis. 


drifting  through  the  sky.  One  of  these  clouds 
seemed  to  gather  over  the  towers  of  St.  Denis. 
To  the  excited  imagination  of  the  king,  the 
vapor  wreathed  itself  into  the  form  of  a  hearse, 
surmounted  by  the  arms  of  Austria.  In  a  few 
days  the  king  followed  the  remains  of  his  moth- 
er to  the  dark  vaults  of  this  their  last  resting- 
place.  Just  before  the  death  of  the  hapless 
Henrietta,  the  same  gloomy  towers  appeared 
to  the  king  in  a  dream  enveloped  in  flames, 


1670.]      THE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND.          237 

Ambition  of  Louis.  He  abandons  St.  Oermain. 

and  in  the  midst  of  the  fire  there  was  a  skele- 
ton holding  in  his  hand  a  lady's  rich  jewelry. 
J3ut  a  few  days  after  this  the  king  was  con- 
strained to  follow  the  remains  of  the  beauti-- 
ful  Henrietta  £o  this  sepulchre.  God  seems  to 
have  sent  warning  upon  warning  upon  thif 
wicked  king.  Absorbed  in  ambitious  plan? 
and  guilty  passions,  Louis  had  but  little  time 
or  thought  to  give  to  his  neglected  wife  or  her 
children.  In  the  same  year  his  two  daughters 
died,  and  with  all  the  pageantry  of  royal  woe 
they  were  also  entombed  at  St.  Denis. 

It  is  not  strange  that,  under  these  circum- 
stances, the  king,  to  whom  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
was  often  faithfully  preached,  and  who  was  liv- 
ing in  the  most  gross  violation  of  the  principles 
of  the  religion  of  Jesus,  should  have  recoiled 
from  a  view  of  those  towers,  which  were  ever  a 
reminder  to  him  of  death  and  the  grave.  He 
could  no  longer  endure  the  palace  at  St.  Ger- 
main. The  magnificent  panorama  of  the  city, 
the  winding  Seine,  the  flowery  meadows,  the 
forest,  the  villages,  and  the  battlemented  cha- 
teaux lost  all  their  charms,  since  the  towers  of 
St.  Denis  would  resistlessly  arrest  his  eye,  for- 
cing upon  his  soul  refections  from  which  he  in- 
stinctively recoiled.  Tie  therefore  almndoneO 


238  Louis  XIV.  [1670. 

Severity  of  Louis  to  Madame  de  la  ValliOre. 

St.  Germain  entirely,  and  determined  that  the 
palace  he  was  constructing  at  Versailles  should 
be  so  magnificent  as  to  throw  every  other  abode 
of  royalty  into  the  shade. 

Madame  de  la  Valliere  was  daily  becoming 
more  wretched.  Fully  conscious  of  her  sin 
and  shame,  deserted  by  the  king,  supplanted  by 
a  new  favorite,  and  still  passionately  attached 
to  her  royal  betrayer,  she  could  not  restrain 
that  grief  which  rapidly  marred  her  beauty. 
The  waning  of  her  charms,  and  the  reproaches 
of  her  silent  woe,  increasingly  repelled  the  king 
from  seeking  her  society.  One  day  Louis  en- 
tered the  apartment  of  Louise,  and  found  her 
weeping  bitterly.  In  cold,  reproachful  tones, 
he  demanded  the  cause  of  her  uncontrollable 
grief.  The  poor  victim,  upon  the  impulse  of 
the  moment,  gave  vent  to  all  the  gushing  an- 
guish of  her  .  soul  —  her  sense  of  guilt  in  the 
sight  of  God — her  misery  in  view  of  her  igno- 
minious position,  and  her  brokenness  of  heart 
in  the  consciousness  that  she  had  lost  the  love 
of  one  for  whom  she  had  periled  her  very  soul. 

The  king  listened  impatiently,  and  then 
haughtily  replied, "  Let  there  be  an  end  to  this. 
I  love  yon,  and  you  know  it.  But  I  am  not 
to  be  constrained."  He  reproached  her  for 


1670.]      THE  WAK  IN  HOLLAND. 


A  second  flitting  to  Chaillot. 


her  obstinacy  in  refusing  the  friendship  of  her 
rival,  Madame  de  Montespan,  and  added  the 
cutting  words, "  You  have  needed,  as  well  as 
Madame  de  Montespan,  the  forbearance  and 
countenance  of  your  sex." 

Poor  Louise  was  utterly  crushed.  She  had 
long  been  thinking  of  retiring  to  a  convent. 
Her  decision  was  now  formed.  She  devoted 
a  few  sad  days  to  the  necessary  arrangements, 
took  an  agonizing  leave,  as  she  supposed  for- 
ever, of  her  children,  to  whom  she  was  tender- 
ly attached,  and  for  whom  the  king  had  made 
ample  provision,  and,  addressing  a  parting  let- 
ter to  him,  entered  her  carriage,  to  seek,  for  a 
second  time,  a  final  retreat  in  the  convent  of 
Chaillot. 

It  was  late  in  the  evening  when  she  entered 
those  gloomy  cells  where  broken  hearts  find  a 
living  burial.  To  the  abbess  she  said, "  I  have 
no  longer  a  home  in  the  palace ;  may  I  hope 
to  find  .one  in  the  cloister  ?"  The  abbess  re- 
ceived her  with  true  Christian  sympathy.  Aft- 
er -listening  with  a  tearful  eye  to  the  recital  of 
her  sorrows,  she  conducted  her  to  the  cell  in 
which  she  was  to  pass  the  night. 

"  She  could  not  pray,  although  she  cast  her- 
self upon  her  knees  beside  the  narrow  pallet, 


Louis  XIV.  [1670 


Night  in  the  convent.  Disappointment. 

and  strove  to  rejoice  that  she  had  at  length  es- 
caped from  the  trials  of  a  world  which  had 
wearied  her,  and  of  which  she  herself  was 
weary.  There  was  no  peace,  no  joy  in  her 
rebel  heart.  She  thought  of  the  first  days  ol 
her  happiness;  of  her  children,  who  on  the 
morrow  would  ask  for  her  in  vain  ;  and  then, 
as  memory  swept  over  her  throbbing  brain,  she 
remembered  her  former  flight  to  Chaillot,  and 
that  it  was  the  king  himself  who  had  led  her 
back  again  into  the  world.  Her  brow  burned 
as  the  question  forced  itself  upon  her,  Would 
he  do  so  a  second  time  ?  would  he  once  more 
hasten,  as  he  had  then  done,  to  rescue  her  from 
the  living  death  to  which  she  had  consigned 
herself  as  an  atonement  for  her  past  errors  ? 

"  But  hour  after  hour  went  by,  and  all  was  si- 
lent. Hope  died  within  her.  Daylight  stream- 
ed dimly  into  the  narrow  casement  of  her  cell. 
Soon  the  measured  step  of  the  abbess  fell  upon 
her  ear  as  she  advanced  up  the  long  gallery, 
•striking  upon  the  door  of  each  cell  as  she  ap- 
proached, and  uttering  in  a  solemn  voice,  '  Let 
us  bless  the  Lord.'  To  which  appeal  eacli  of  the 
sisters  replied  in  turn,  'I  give  him  thanks.'" 

The  deceptive  heart  of  Louise  led  her  to 
hope,  notwithstanding  she  had  volunta^l* 


1670.]      THE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND.         241 


Return  of  Louise  to  the  palace. 


sought  the  cloister,  that  the  king,  yearning  for 
her  presence,  would  come  himself,  as  soon  as 
lie  heard  of  her  departure,  and  affectionately 
force  her  back  to  the  Louvre.  Early  in  the 
morning  she  heard  the  sound  of  carriage- 
wheels  entering  the  court-yard  of  the  convent. 
Her  heart  throbbed  with  excitement.  Soon 
she  was  summoned  from  her  cell  to  the  par- 
lor. Much  to  her  disappointment,  the  king 
was  not  there,  but  his  minister,  M.  Colbert,  pre- 
sented to  her  a  very  affectionate  letter  from 
his  majesty  urging  her  return.  As  she  hesi- 
tated, M.  Colbert  pleaded  earnestly  in  behalf 
of  his  sovereign. 

The  feeble  will  of  Louise  yielded,  while  yet 
she  blushed  at  her  own  weakness.  Tears  filled 
her  eyes  as  she  took  leave  of  the  abbess,  grasp- 
ing her  hand,  and  saying, "  This  is  not  a  fare- 
well ;  I  shall  assuredly  return,  and  perhaps 
very  soon."  The  king  was  much  moved  in  re- 
ceiving her,  and,  with  great  apparent  cordiali- 
ty, thanked  her  for  having  complied  with  his 
entreaties.  Even  the  heart  of  Madame  de  Mon- 
tespan  was  touched.  She  received  with  words 
of  love  and  sympathy  the  returned  fugitive, 
whose  rivalry  she  no  longer  feared,  and  in 
1—16 


Louis  XIV.  [1670. 


Madam*  de  Moiitespan.  Louis  reproved  by  the  clergy. 

whose  sad  career  she  perhaps  saw  mirrored  her 
own  future  doom. 

Madame  de  Montespan  was  then  in  the  ze- 
nith of  her  power.  The  king  had  assigned  her 
the  beautiful  chateau  of  Clagny,  but  a  short 
distance  from  Versailles.  Here  she  lived  in 
great  splendor,  entertaining  foreign  embassa- 
dors,  receiving  from  them  costly  gifts,  and  in- 
troducing them  to  her  children  as  if  they  were 
really  princes  of  the  blood. 

Notwithstanding  the  corruptions  of  the  pa- 
pal Church,  there  were  in  that  Church  many 
faithful  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ.  Some  of 
them,  in  their  preaching,  inveighed  very  se- 
verely against  the  sinful  practices  in  the  court. 
Not  only  Madame  de  Montespan,  but  the  king, 
often  knew  that  they  were  directly  referred 
to.  But  the  guilty  yet  sagacious  monarch  i  a"e- 
fully  avoided  any  appropriation  of  the  denun- 
ciations to  himself.  Still,  he  was  so  much  an- 
noyed that  he  seriously  contemplated  urging 
Madame  de  Montespan  to  retire  to  a  convent. 
He  even  authorized  the  venerable  Bossuet,  then 
Bishop  of  Condom,  to  call  upon  Madame  de 
Montespan,  and  suggest  in  his  name  that  she 
should  withdraw  from  the  court  and  retire  to 
the  seclusion  of  the  cloister.  But  the  haughty 


1670.]      THE  WAK  IN  HOLLAND.         243' 

Power  of  France.  Alarm  in  Holland. 

favorite,  conscious  of  the  power  of  her  charms, 
and  knowing  full  well  that  the  king  had  only 
submitted  to  the  suggestion,  peremptorily  re- 
fused. She  judged  correctly.  The  king  was 
well  pleased  to  have  her  remain. 

The  preparations  which  the  king  was  mak- 
ing for  the  invasion  of  Holland  greatly  alarm- 
ed the  Dutch  government.  France  had  be- 
come powerful  far  beyond  any  other  Conti- 
nental kingdom.  The  king  had  the  finest  armjr 
in  Europe.  Turenne,  Conde,  Vauban,  ranked 
among  the  ablest  generals  and  engineers  of 
any  age.  While  Louis  XIV.  was  apparently 
absorbed  in  his  pleasures,  Europe  was  surprised 
to  see  vast  trains  of  artillery  and  ammunition 
wagons  crowding  the  roads  of  his  northern 
provinces.  In  his  previous  campaign,  Louis  had 
taken  Flanders  in  three  months,  and  Franche- 
Comte  in  three  weeks.  These  rapid  conquests 
had  alarmed  neighboring  nations,  and  Holland, 
Switzerland,  and  England  had  entered  into  an 
alliance  to  resist  farther  encroachments,  should 
they  be  attempted. 

Louis  affected  to  be  very  angry  that,  such  a 
feeble  state  as  Holland  should  have  the  impu- 
dence to  think  of  limiting  his  conquests.  Hav- 
ing, as  we  have  mentioned,  detached  England 


244  Louis  XIV.  [1670. 

Humble  inquiry  of  the  Dutch.  Haughty  reply  of  Louis. 

from  the  alliance  by  bribing  with  gold  and  fe- 
male charms  the  miserable  Charles  II.,  Louis 
was  ready,  without  any  declaration  of  war,  even 
without  any  openly  avowed  cause  of  grievance, 
to  invade  Holland,  and  annex  the  territory  to 
his  realms.  The  States-General,  alarmed  in 
view  of  the  magnitude  of  the  military  opera- 
tions which  were  being  made  upon  their  bor- 
ders, sent  embassadors  to  the  French  court  hum- 
bly to  inquire  if  these  preparations  were  de- 
signed against  Holland,  the  ancient  and  faith- 
ful ally  of  France,  and,  if  so,  in  what  respect 
Holland  had  offended. 

Louis  XIV.  haughtily  and  insolently  replied, 
"  I  shall  make  use  of  my  troops  as  my  own  dig- 
nity renders  advisable.  I  am  not  responsible 
for  my  conduct  to  any  power  whatever." 

The  real  ability  of  the  king  was  shown  in 
the  effectual  measures  he  adopted  to  secure, 
without  the  chance  of  failure,  the  triumphant 
execution  of  his  plans.  Twenty  millions  of 
people  had  been  robbed  of  their  hard  earnings 
to  fill  his  army  chests  with  gold.  An  army  of 
a  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  men,  in  the 
highest  state  of  discipline,  and  abundantly  sup- 
plied with  all  the  munitions  of  war,  were  on 
the  march  for  the  northern  frontiers  of  France. 


1670.]     THE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND.         245 

Body-guard  of  the  king.  Reply  of  the  Dutch  merchant. 

These  troops  were  supported  by  a  combined 
English  and  French  fleet  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty  vessels  of  war.  It  was  the  most  resist- 
less force,  all  things  considered,  Europe  Jiad 
then  ever  witnessed.  We  shall  not  enter  into 
the  details  of  this  campaign,  which  are  inter- 
esting only  to  military  men.  Twelve  hundred 
of  the  sons  of  the  nobles  were  organized  into 
a  body-guard,  ever  to  surround  the  king.  They 
were  decorated  with  the  most  brilliant  uni- 
forms, glittering  with  embroideries  of  gold  and 
silver,  and  were  magnificently  mounted.  The 
terrible  bayonet  was  then,  for  the  first  time,  at- 
tached to  the  musket.  Light  pontoons  of  brass 
for  crossing  the  rivers  were  carried  on  wagons. 
A  celebrated  writer,  M.  Pelisson,  accompanied 
the  king,  to  give  a  glowing  narrative  of  his 
achievements. 

As  there  had  been  no  declaration  of  war  and 
no  commencement  of  hostilities,  the  king  pur- 
chased a  large  amount  of  military  stores  even 
in  the  states  of  Holland,  which,  no  one  could 
doubt,  he  was  preparing  to  invade.  A  Dutch 
merchant,  being  censured  by  Prince  Maurice 
for  entering  into  a  traffic  so  unpatriotic,  replied, 

"  My  lord,  if  there  could  be  opened  to  me  by 
sea  any  advantageous  commerce  with  the  in- 


Louis  XIV.  [1672. 


€*orces  of  William,  prince  of  Orange.          Louis's  march  nnresisted. 

fernal  regions,  I  should  certainly  go  there,  even 
at  the  risk  of  burning  rny  sails." 

Louis  made  arrangements  that  money  should 
be  liberally  expended  to  bribe  the  command- 
ants of  the  Dutch  fortresses.  To  oppose  all 
these  moral  and  physical  forces,  Holland  had 
but  twenty-tive  thousand  soldiers,  poorly  armed 
and  disciplined.  They  were  under  the  com- 
mand of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  who  was  in 
feeble  health,  and  but  twenty-two  years  of  age. 
But  this  young  prince  proved  to  be  one  of  the 
tnost  extraordinary  men  of  whom  history  gives 
any  account;  yet  it  was  manifestly  impossible 
for  him  now  to  arrest  the  torrent  about  to  in- 
vade his  courts. 

Lonis  rapidly  pushed  his  troops  forward  into 
the  unprotected  states  of  Holland  which  bor- 
dered the  left  banks  of  the  Rhine.  His  march 
was  unresisted.  Liberally  he  paid  for  what- 
ever he  took,  distributed  presents  to  the  nobles, 
and,  preparing  to  cross  the  river,  placed  his 
troops  in  strong  detachments  in  villages  scat- 
tered along  the  banks  of  the  stream.  The  king 
himself  was  at  the  head  of  a  choice  body  of 
thirty  thousand  troops.  Marshal  Turenne  com- 
manded under  him. 

The  whole  country  on  the  left  bank  of  the 


1672.]     THE  WAS  IN  HOLLAND.          247 

The  French  cross  the  Rhine.        Death  of  the  Duke  of  Longaeville. 

Rhine  was  soon  in  possession  of  the  French,  as 
village  after  village  fell  into  their  hands.  The 
main  object  of  the  Prince  of  Orange  was  to 
prevent  the  French  from  crossing  the  river. 
Louis  intended  to  have  crossed  by  his  pontoons^ 
suddenly  moving  upon  some  unexpected  point. 
But  there  came  just  then  a  very  severe  drouth. 
The  water  fell  so  low  that  there  was  a  portion 
of  the  stream  which  could  be  nearly  forded. 
It  would  be  necessary  to  swim  the  horses  but 
about  twenty  feet.  The  current  was  slow,  and 
the  passage  could  be  easily  effected.  By  mov- 
ing rapidly,  the  Prince  of  Orange  would  not 
be  able  to  collect  at  that  point  sufficient  troops 
seriously  to  embarrass  the  operation. 

Fifteen  thousand  horsemen  were  here  sent 
across,  defended  by  artillery  on  the  banks,  and 
aided  by  boats  of  brass.  But  one  man  in  the 
French  army,  the  young  Duke  de  Longueviller 
was  killed.  He  lost  his  life  through  inebria- 
tion, and  its  consequent  folly  and  crime.  Half 
crazed  with  wine,  he  refused  quarter  to  a  Dutch 
officer  who  had  thrown  down  his  arms  and  sur- 
rendered. Reeling  in  his  saddle,  he  shot  down 
the  officer,  exclaiming, "  No  quarter  for  these 
rascals."  Some  of  the  Dutch  infantry,  who 
were  just  surrendering,  in  despair  opened  firer 


248  Louis  XI Y.  [1672. 

Passage  of  the  Rhine.  Louis  a  bigoted  Cathofic. 

and  the  drunken  duke  received  the  death-blow 
he  merited. 

This  passage  of  the  Rhine  was  considered  a 
very  brilliant  achievement,  and  added  much  to 
the  military  reputation  of  Louis  XIV.,  though 
it  appears  to  have  been  exclusively  the  feat  of 
the  Prince  of  Conde.  The  cities  of  Holland 
fell  in  such  rapid  succession  into  the  power  of 
the  French,  that  scarcely  an  hour  of  the  day 
passed  in  which  the  king  did  not  receive  the 
news  of  some  conquest.  An  officer  named 
Mazel  sent  an  aid  to  Marshal  Turenne  to  say, 

"  If  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  send  me  fifty 
horsemen,  I  shall  with  them  be  able  to  take 
two  or  three  places." 

It  was  on  the  12th  of  June,  1672,  that  the 
passage  of  the  Rhine  was  effected.  On  the 
20th  the  French  king  made  his  triumphal  en- 
trance into  the  city  of  Utrecht.  The  king  was 
a  Catholic — a  bigoted  Catholic.  Corrupt  as  he 
was  in  life,  regardless  as  he  was  in  his  private 
conduct  of  the  precepts  of  Jesus,  he  was  ex- 
tremely zealous  to  invest  the  Catholic  Church 
with  power  and  splendor.  It  was  with  him  a 
prominent  object  to  give  the  Catholic  religion 
the  supremacy. 

Amsterdam  was  the  capital  of  the  republic. 


1672.]     THE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND.         249 

Consternation.  Reception  of  the  Dutch  deputies. 

The  capture  of  that  city  would  complete  the 
conquest.  Not  only  the  republic  would  perish, 
but  Holland  would,  as  it  were,  disappear  from 
the  earth,  her  territory  being  absorbed  in  that 
of  France.  The  consternation  in  the  metropo- 
lis was  great.  The  most  noble  arid  wealthy 
families  were  preparing  for  a  rapid  flight  to 
the  north.  Amsterdam  was  then  the  most  op- 
ulent and  influential  commercial  town  in  Eu- 
rope. It  contained  a  population  of  two  hun- 
dred thousand  sag*acious,  energetic,  thrifty  peo- 
ple. As  is  invariably  the  case  in  days  of  dis- 
aster, there  were  discordant  counsels  arid  angry 
divisions  among  the  bewildered  defenders  of 
the  imperiled  realm.  Some  were  for  fiercely 
pressing  the  war,  others  for  humbly  imploring 
peace. 

At  length  four  deputies  were  sent  to  the 
French  camp  to  intercede  for  the  clemency  of 
the  conqueror,  They  were  received  with  rail- 
lery and  insult.  After  contemptuously  com- 
pelling the  deputation  several  times  to  come 
and  go  without  any  result,  the  king  at  last 
condescended  to  present  the  following  as  his 
terms : 

He  demanded  that  the  States  of  Holland 
should  surrender  to  him  the  whole  of  the  ter- 


250  Louis  XIV.  [1672. 

Terms  of  Louis  XIV. 

ritory  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Rhine ;  that  they 
should  place  in  his  hands,  to  be  garrisoned  by 
French  troops,  the  most  important  forts  and  for- 
tified towns  of  the  republic ;  that  they  should 
pay  him  twenty  millions  of  francs,  a  sum  equal 
to  several  times  that  amount  at  the  present  day ; 
that  the  French  should  be  placed  in  command 
of  all  the  important  entrances  to  Holland,  both 
by  sea  and  land,  and  should  be  exempted  from 
paying  any  duty  upon  the  goods  they  should 
enter ;  that  the  Catholic  religion  should  l>e  es- 
tablished every  where  through  the  realm  ;  and 
that  every  year  the  republic  should  send  to 
Louis  XIV.  an  embassador,  with  a  golden  med- 
al, npon  which  there  should  be  impressed  the 
declaration  that  the  republic  held  all  its  priv- 
ileges through  the  favor  of  Louis  XIV.  To 
these  conditions  were  to  be  added  such  as  the 
States-General  should  be  compelled  to  make 
with  the  other  allies  engaged  in  the  war. 

The  nations  of  Europe  liave  been  guilty  of 
many  outrages,  but  perhaps  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  find  one  more  atrocious  than  this.  In 
reference  to  the  cause  of  the  war, Voltaire  very 
truly  remarks, "  It  is  a  singular  fact,  and  wor- 
thy of  record,  that  of  all  the  enemies,  there  was 
not  one  that  could  allege  any  pretext  whatever 


1672.]     THE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND. 

Heroic  conduct  of  the  Dutch,  The  dikes  pierced. 

far  the  war."  It  was  an  enterprise  very  simi- 
lar to  that  of  the  coalition  of  Louis  XII.,  the 
Emperor  Maximilian,  and  Spain,  who  conspired 
for  the  overthrow  of  the  Venetian  republic  sim- 
ply because  that  republic  was  rich  and  prosper- 
ous. 

These  terms,  dictated  by  the  insolence  of  the 
conqueror,  were  quite  intolerable.  They  in- 
spired the  courage  of  despair.  The  resolution 
was  at  once  formed  to  perish,  if  perish  they 
must,  with  their  arms  in  their  hands.  The 
Prince  of  Orange  had  always  urged  the  vigor- 
ous prosecution  of  the  war.  Guided  by  his  en- 
ergetic counsel,  they  pierced  the  dikes,  which 
alone  protected  their  country  from  the  waters 
of  the  sea.  The  flood  rushed  in  through  the 
opened  barriers,  converting  hundreds  of  leagues 
of  fertile  fields  into  an  ocean.  The  inundation 
flooded  the  houses,  swept  away  the  roads,  de- 
stroyed the  harvest,  drowned  the  flocks ;  and 
yet  no  one  uttered  a  murmur.  Louis  XIV., 
by  his  infamous  demands,  had  united  all  hearts 
in  the  most  determined  resistance.  Amster- 
dam appeared  like  a  large  fortress  rising  in  the 
midst  of  the  ocean,  surrounded  by  ships  of  war, 
which  found  depth  of  water  to  float  where 
ships  had  never  floated  before.  The  distress 


252  .LOUIS  XIV.  [1672. 

Naval  battle.  Efforts  of  the  Prince  of  Orange. 

was  dreadful.  It  was  the  briny  ocean  whose 
waves  were  now  sweeping  over  the  land.  It 
was  so  difficult  to  obtain  any  fresh  water  that 
it  was  sold  for  six  cents  a  pint. 

Maritime  Holland,  though  weak  upon  the 
land,  was  still  powerful  on  the  sea.  The  united 
fleet  of  the  allies  did  not  exceed  that  of  the  re- 
public. The  Dutch  Admiral  Ruyter,  with  a 
hundred  vessels  of  war  and  fifty  fire-ships,  re- 
paired to  the  coasts  of  England  in  search  of 
his  foes.  He  met  the  allied  fleet  on  the  7th 
of  June,  1672,  and  in  the  heroic  naval  battle 
of  Solbaie  disabled  and  dispersed  it.  This  gave 
Holland  the  entire  supremacy  on  the  sea.  Thus 
suddenly  Louis  XIV.  found  himself  checked, 
and  no  farther  progress  was  possible. 

The  Prince  of  Orange  gave  all  his  private 
revenues  to  the  state,  and  entered  into  nego- 
tiations with  other  powers,  who  were  already 
alarmed  by  the  encroachments  of  the  French 
king.  The  Emperor  of  Germany,  the  Spanisli 
court,  and  Flanders,  entered  into  an  alliance 
with  the  heroic  prince.  He  even  compelled 
Charles  II.  to  withdraw  from  that  union  with 
Louis  XIV.  which  was  opposed  to  the  interests 
of  England,  and  into  which  his  court  had  been 
reluctantly  dragged.  Troops  from  all  quarters 


1672.J     THE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND          253 

Louis  returns  to  Paris.  His  extraordinary  euergy. 

were  hurrying  forward  for  the  protection  of 
Holland. 

The  villainy  of  Louis  XIY.  was  thwarted. 
Chagrined  at  seeing  his  conquest  at  an  end, 
but  probably  with  no  compunctions  of  con- 
science for  the  vast  amount  of  misery  his  crime 
had  caused,  he  left  his  discomfited  army  under 
the  command  of  Turenne  and  the  other  gener- 
als, and  returned  to  his  palaces  in  France. 

The  troops  which  remained  in  Holland  com- 
mitted outrages  which  rendered  the  very  name 
of  the  French  detested.  Louis,  from  the  midst 
of  the  pomp  and  pleasure  of  his  palaces,  still 
displayed  extraordinary  energies.  Agents  were 
dispatched  to  all  the  courts  of  Europe  with 
large  sums  of  money  for  purposes  of  bribery. 
J3y  his  diplomatic  cunning,  Hungary  was  roused 
against  Austria.  Gold  wras  lavished  upon  the 
King  of  England  to  induce  him,  notwithstand- 
ing the  opposition  of  the  British  Parliament, 
to  continue  in  alliance  with  France.  Several 
of  the  petty  states  of  Germany  were  bought 
over.  Louis  greatly  increased  his  naval  force. 
He  soon  had  forty  ships  of  war  afloat,  besides 
a  large  number  of  fire-ships. 

But  Europe  had  been  so  alarmed  by  his  en- 
croachments and  his  menaces  that,  notwitb 


254 


Louis  XIV. 

Arch  of  triumph. 


[1672 


standing  his  efforts  at  diplomacy  and  intrigue, 
he  was  compelled  to  abandon  his  enterprise, 
and  withdraw  his  troops  from  the  provinces  he 
had  overrun. 

In  the  early  part  of  his  campaign,  Louis, 
flushed  with  victory  and  assured  of  entire  suc- 
cess, had  commenced  building,  as  a  monument 
of  his  great  achievement,  the  arch  of  triumph 
at  the  gate  of  St.  Denis.  The  structure  was 
scarcely  completed  ere  he  was  compelled  to 
withdraw  his  troops  from  Holland,  to  meet  the 


ram  ST.  DENTS. 


L673.]     THE  WAS.  IN  HOLLAND.          255 

SkiH  and  strategy  of  Turenne. 

foes  who  were  crowding  upon  him  from  all 
directions. 

Louis  XIV.  now  found  nearly  all  Europe 
against  him.  He  sent  twenty  thousand  men, 
ui  r  Marshal  Turenne,  to  encounter  the  forces 
of  uie  Emperor  of  Germany.  The  Prince  de 
Comic  was  sent  with  forty  thousand  troops  to 
assail  the  redoubtable  Prince  of  Orange.  An- 
other strong  detachment  \vas  dispatched  to  the 
frontiers  of  Spain,  to  arrest  the  advance  of  the 
Spanish  troops.  A  fleet  was  also  sent,  convey- 
ing a  large  land  force,  to  make  a  diversion  by 
attacking  the  Spanish  sea-ports. 

Turenne,  in  defending  the  frontiers  of  the 
Rhine,  acquired  reputation  which  has  made 
his  name  one  of  the  most  renowned  in  milita- 
ry annals.  The  emperor  sent  seventy  thousand 
men  against  him.  Turenne  had  but  twenty 
thousand  to  meet  them.  By  wonderful  com- 
binations>  he  defeated  and  dispersed  the  whole 
imperial  army.  It  added  not  a  little  to  the 
celebrity  of  Turenne  that  he  had  achieved  his 
victory  by  following  liis  own  judgment,  in  di 
rect  opposition  to  reiterated  orders  from  the 
minister  of  war,  given  in  the  name  of  the  king. 

Turenne,  a  merciless  warrior,  allowed  no 
considerations  of  humanity  to  interfere  with 


256  Louis  XI\.  [1673, 

Barbarities  of  Tnrenne.  Opinion  of  Voltaire. 

his  military  operations.  The  Palatinate,  a 
country  on  both  sides  the  Khine,  embracing  a 
territory  of  about  sixteen  hundred  square  miles, 
and  a  population  of  over  three  hundred  thou- 
sand, was  laid  in  ashes  by  his  command.  It 
was  a  beautiful  region,  very  fertile,  and  cover- 
ed with  villages  and  opulent  cities.  The  Elec- 
tor Palatine  saw  from  the  towers  of  his  castle 
at  Manheim  two  cities  and  twenty-five  villages 
at  the  same  time  in  flames.  This  awful  de- 
struction was  perpetrated  upon  the  defenseless 
inhabitants,  that  the  armie's  of  the  emperor, 
encountering  entire  desolation,  might  be  de- 
prived of  subsistence.  It  was  nothing  to  Tu- 
renne  that  thousands  of  women  and  children 
should  be  cast  houseless  into  the  fields  to  starve. 

Alsace,  with  nearly  a  million  of  inhabitants, 
encountered  the  same  doom.  Another  prov- 
ince, Lorraine,  which  covered  an  area  of  about 
ten  thousand  square  miles,  and  contained  a 
population  of  one  and  a  half  millions,  was 
swept  of  all  its  provisions  by  the  cavalry  of 
the  French  commander.  •  In  reference  to  these 
military  operations,  Voltaire  writes, 

"All  the  injuries  he  inflicted  seemed  to  be 
necessary.  Besides,  the  army  of  seventy  thou- 
sand Germans,  whom  he  thus  prevented  from 


1678.]     THE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND.          257 

Death  of  Turenne.  Peace  of  Nimeguen. 

entering  France,  would  have  inflicted  much 
more  injury  than  Turenne  inflicted  upon  Lor- 
raine, Alsace,  and  the  Palatinate." 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1675,  a  cannon  ball 
gtruck  Turenne,  and  closed  in  an  instant  his 
earthly  career.  His  renown  filled  Europe. 
He  was  a  successful  warrior,  a  dissolute  man ; 
and  few  who  have  ever  lived  have  caused  more 
widespread  misery  than  could  be  charged  to 
his  account.  Such  is  not  the  character  which 
best  prepares  one  to  stand  before  the  judg- 
ment seat  of  Christ 

The  war  continued  for  two  years  with  some- 
what varying  fortune,  but  with  unvarying  blood 
and  misery.  At  last  peace  was  made  on  the 
14th  of  August,  1678 — the  peace  of  Nimeguen, 
as  it  is  styled.  Louis  XIV.  dictated  the  terms. 
He  was  now  at  the  height  of  his  grandeur. 
He  had  enlarged  his  domains  by  the  addition 
of  Franche-Comte,  Dunkirk,  and  half  of  Flan- 
ders. His  courtiers  worshiped  him  as  a  demi- 
god. The  French  court  conferred  upon  him, 
with  imposing  solemnities,  the  title  of  Louis 
le  Grand.  The  ambition  of  Louis  was  by  no 
means  satiated.  He  availed  himself  of  the 
short  peace  which  ensued  to  form  plans  and 
gather  resources  for  new  conquests 

1—17 


258  Louis  XIV.  [1678. 

Penitence  aud  anguish  of  Louise  de  Valliere. 

Let  ns  now  return  from  fields  of  blood  to 
life  in  the  palace.  Madame  de  la  Vallidre, 
upon  her  return  from  the  convent,  soon  found 
herself  utterly  miserable.  She  had  hoped  that 
reviving  affection  had  been  the  inducement 
which  led  Louis  to  recall  her.  Instead  of  this, 
his  attentions  daily  diminished.  Madame  de 
Montespan  had  accompanied  the  king  in  his 
brief  trip  to  Holland,  and  returned  with  him 
to  Paris.  She  was  all-powerful  at  court,  and 
seemed  to  delight,  by  word  and  deed,  to  add 
to  the  anguish  of  her  vanquished  rival.  After 
a  dreary  year  of  wretchedness,  Louise  could 
endure  no  longer  a  residence  in  the  palace. 
Her  mother,  who  had  been  exceedingly  dis- 
tressed in  view  of  the  ignominious  position  oc- 
cupied by  her  daughter,  entreated  her  to  retire 
to  the  Duch}7  of  Vaujours  with  her  children. 
Her  mother  promised  to  accompany  her  to 
that  quiet  yet  beautiful  retreat.  But  the  spirit 
of  Louise  was  broken.  She  longed  only  to 
sever  herself  entirely  from  the  world,  and  to 
seek  a  living  burial  in  the  glooms  of  the  clois- 
ter. In  those  days  of  sorrow,  penitence  and 
the  spirit  of  devotion  sprang  up  in  her  weary 
heart. 

Louise  was  still  young  and  beautiful     Her. 


1678.]     THE  WAK  IN  HOLLAND.          259 

Takes  leave  ofher  children  and  the  queen. 


passionate  love  for  the  king  still  held  strong 
dominion  over  her.  Grief  brought  on  a  long 
ar.d  dangerous  illness.  For  many  days  her 
life  was  in  danger.  In  view  of  the  approach- 
ing judgment,  where  she  felt  that  she  soon 
must  stand,  the  greatness  of  her  transgression 
harrowed  her  soul,  and  increased  her  desire  to- 
spend  the  rest  of  her  life  in  works  of  piety  and 
in  prayer.  When  convalescent,  the  king  con- 
sented to  her  retirement  to  the  Carmelite  con- 
vent. Like  one  in  a  dream,  she  took  leave  of 
her  children  without  a  tear.  Then,  entering 
the  apartment  of  the  queen,  she  threw  herself 
upon  her  knees,  and  with  the  sobbings  of  a  re- 
morseful and  despairing  heart  implored  her 
pardon  for  all  the  sorrow  she  had  caused  her. 
The  generous  Maria  Theresa  raised  her  up, 
embraced  her,  and  declared  her  entirely  for- 
given. 

The  morning  of  her  departure  arrived.  The 
king,  who  was  that  day  to  leave  Paris  to  visit 
the  army  in  Flanders,  attended  high  mass. 
Louise  also  attended.  Absorbed  in  prayer, 
she  did  not  raise  her  eyes  during  the  service. 
She  then,  pale  as  death,  and  leaning  upon  the 
arm  of  her  mother,  but  for  whose  support  she 
must  have  fallen,  advanced  to  take  leave  of 


260  Louis  XIV.  [16T8. 

Again  at  the  convent.  Faithfulness  to  dot/. 

the  king.  The  selfish  monarch,  with  a  dry  eye 
and  a  firm  voice,  bade  her  adieu,  coldly  ex- 
pressing the  hope  that  she  would  be  happy  in 
her  retreat.  Without  the  slightest  apparent 
emotion,  he  saw  Louise,  with  her  earthly  hap- 
piness utterly  wrecked,  enter  her  carriage  and 
drive  away,  to  pass  the  remainder  of  her  joy- 
less years  in  the  gloomy  cell  of  the  convent. 
He  then  turned  and  conversed  with  his  com- 
panions with  as  much  composure  as  if  nothing 
unusual  had  happened. 

Louise,  upon  her  arrival  at  the  convent,  cast 
herself  upon  her  knees  before  the  abbess,  say- 
ing that  hitherto  she  had  made  so  ill  a  use  of 
her  free  will  that  she  came  to  resign  it  to  the 
abbess  forever.  For  thirty-six  years  the  heart- 
broken penitent  endured  the  hardships  of  her 
convent  life — its  narrow  pallet,  its  hard  fare, 
its  prolonged  devotions,  its  silence,  and  its  rigid 
fastings.  Under  the  name  of  Louisa  of  Mercj 
she  with  the  most  exemplary  fidelity  performed 
all  her  'dreary  duties,  until,  in  her  sixty-sixth 
year,  she  fell  asleep,  and  passed  away,  we  trust, 
to  the  bosom  of  that  Savior  who  is  ever  ready 
to  receive  the  returning  penitent. 

The  hapless  Henrietta,  duchess  of  Orleans, 
left  a  very  beautiful  daughter,  Maria  Louisa. 


1679.]     THE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND.          261 

Marriage  of  the  Duchess  of  Orleans  with  the  King  of  Spain. 

Her  charms  of  countenance,  person,  and  man- 
ners attracted  the  admiration  of  the  whole 
court,  where  she  was  a  universal  favorite.  She 
was  compelled  by  the  king,  as  a  matter  of  state 
policy,  to  marry  Charles  II.,  the  young  King 
of  Spain,  for  whom  she  felt  no  affection.  Bit- 
terly she  wept  in  view  of  the  terrible  sacrifice 
she  was  compelled  to  make.  But  the  will  of 
the  king  was  inexorable.  Her  melancholy  mar- 
riage was  solemnized  with  much  splendor  in 
the  great  chapel  at  St.  Germain.  She  then 
left,  with  undisguised  reluctance,  for  Madrid. 
The  King  of  Spain,  feeble  in  body,  more  feeble 
in  mind,  moody  and  melancholy,  was  charmed 
by  her  youth  and  beauty.  Her  mental  endow- 
ments were  such  that  she  soon  acquired  entire 
ascendency  over  him.  He  became  pliant  as 
wax  in  her  hands. 

The  cabinet  at  Vienna  were  alarmed  lest 
Maria  Louisa  should  influence  her  husband  to 
unite  with  France  against  Germany.  The 
Countess  de  Soissons  was  sent  as  a  secret  agent 
to  the  Spanish  court.  Beautiful  and  fascinat- 
ing, she  soon  became  exceedingly  intimate  with 
the  queen.  One  day  Maria  Louisa,  oppressed 
by  the  heat,  expressed  regret  at  the  scarcity  of 
milk  in  Madrid,  saying  how  much  she  should 


262  Louis  XI V.  [1679. 

The  Conntess  de  Soissona, 

•enjoy  a,  good  draught.  The  countess  assured 
her  that  she  Imew  where  to  obtain  some  of  ex- 
cellent quality,  and  that,  with  her  majesty's  per- 
mission, she  would  have  it  iced  and  present  it 
with  her  own  hands.  The  queen  received  the 
cup  with  a  smile,  and  drank  it  at  once.  In  half 
an  hour  she  was  taken  ill.  After  a  few  hours 
of  horrible  agony,  such  as  her  unhappy  mother 
had  previously  endured  from  the  same  cause, 
she  died.  In  the  confusion,  the  countess  es- 
caped from  the  capital.  She  was  pursued,  but 
her  arrangements  for  escape  had  been  so  skill- 
fully made  that  she  could  not  be  overtaken. 

Maria  Theresa,  the  neglected  queen  of  France, 
had  borne  six  children ;  but  of  these,  at  this  pe- 
riod, there  was  but  one  surviving  son,  the  dau- 
phin. In  his  character  there  appeared  a  com- 
bination of  most  singular  anomalies  and  con- 
tradictions. Though  exceedingly  impulsive 
and  obstinate  in  obeying  every  freak  of  his 
fancy,  he  seemed  incapable  of  any  affection, 
and  alike  incapable  of  any  hostility,  except  that 
which  flashed  up  for  the  moment. 

"  The  example  of  his  guardians  had  inspired 
him  with  a  few  amiable  qualities,  but  his  nat- 
ural vices  defied  eradication.  His  constitution- 
al tendencies  were  all  evil.  His  greatest  pleas- 


1679.]     THE  WAK  IN  HOLLAND.          263 


Character  of  the  dauphin. 


lire  consisted  in  annoying  those  about  him. 
Those  who  were  most  conversant  with  his  hu- 
mor could  never  guess  the  temper  of  his  mind. 
lie  laughed  the  loudest  and  affected  the  great- 
est amiability  when  he  was  most  exasperated, 
and  scowled  defiance  when  he  was  perfectly 
unruffled.  His  only  talent  was  a  keen  sense 
of  the  ridiculous.  Nothing  escaped  him  that 
could  be  tortured  into  sarcasm,  although  no- 
one  could  have  guessed,  from  his  abstracted 
and  careless  demeanor,  that  he  was  conscious 
of  any  thing  that  was  taking  place  in  his  pres- 
ence. His  indolence  was  extreme,  and  his  fa- 
vorite amusement  was  lying  stretched  upon  a 
sofa  tapping  the  points  of  his  shoes  with  a  cane. 
Never,  to  the  day  of  his  death,  had  even  his- 
most  intimate  associates  heard  him  express  an 
opinion  upon  any  subject  relating  to  art,  liter- 
ature, or  politics."* 

Such  was  the  imbecile  young  man  who,  by 
the  absurd  law  of  hereditary  descent,  was  the- 
destined  heir  to  the  throne  of  more  than  twen- 
ty millions  of  people.  The  king  was  anxious 
to  obtain  for  his  son  a  bride  whose  alliance 
would  strengthen  him  against  his  enemies. 
With  that  policy  alone  influencing  him,  he  ap 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France,  vol.  ii.,  p.  268. 


264  Lours  XIV.  [1635. 

Moneeigneur's  indifference.  Franfolse  d'Anbign6. 

plied  for  the  hand  of  the  Princess  Mary  Ann 
of  Bavaria.  It  so  chanced  that  she  was  in 
personal  appearance  exceedingly  unattractive. 
The  king  said  that, "  though  she  was  not  hand- 
some, he  still  hoped  that  Monseigneur  would 
be  able  to  live  happily  with  her" 

The  dauphin,  or  Monseigneur  as  he  was  call- 
ed, seemed  to  be  perfectly  indifferent  to  the 
whole  matter.  He  at  one  time  inquired  if  the 
princess  were  free  from  any  deformity.  Upon 
being  told  that  she  was,  he  seemed  quite  con- 
tented, and  asked  no  farther  questions.  In  an- 
ticipation of  the  marriage,  a  lady,  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  whose  name  henceforth  became  in- 
separably connected  with  that  of  Louis  XIV., 
was  appointed  to  the  distinguished  post  of 
"  mistress  of  the  robes"  to  the  dauphiness.  "We 
must  now  introduce  this  distinguished  lady  to 
our  readers. 

The  Marchioness  Frangoise  d'Aubigne  was 
born  of  a  noble  Protestant  family,  in  the  year 
1635,  in  the  prison  of  Niort.  Her  mother,  with 
her  little  boy,  had  been  permitted  to  join  her 
imprisoned  husband  in  his  captivity.  Here 
Frangoise  was  born,  amidst  scenes  of  the  most 
extreme  poverty  and  misery.  The  emaciate 
mother  was  unable  to  afford  sustenance  to  her 


1640.]      THE  WAR  IN  HOLLAND.          265 

Her  apparent  death  and  recovery. 

infant.  A  sister  of  Baron  d' Aubigne",  Madame 
de  Vilette,  took  Frangoise  to  her  home  at  the 
Chateau  de  Marcey,  where  she  passed  her  in- 
fancy. After  an  imprisonment  of  four  years, 
the  baron  was  released ;  but,  as  he  refused  to 
abjure  Calvinism,  Cardinal  Richelieu  would 
not  permit  him  to  remain  in  France.  He  con- 
sequently, with  his  family,  embarked  for  Mar- 
tinique. During  the  passage,  Frangoise  was 
taken  ill  and  apparently  died.  As  one  of  the 
crew  was  about  to  consign  the  body  to  its  ocean 
burial,  the  grief-stricken  mother  implored  the 
privilege  of  one  parting  embrace.  As  she 
pressed  the  child  to  her  heart,  she  perceived  in- 
dications of  life.  The  babe  recovered,  to  oc- 
cupy a  position  which  tilled  the  world  with 
her  renown. 

Upon  the  island  of  Martinique  prosperity 
smiled  upon  them.  Madame  d'Aubigne  was 
a  Catholic,  though  her  husband  was  a  Prot- 
estant. She  at  length  took  ship  for  France, 
hoping  to  save  some  portion  of  her  husband's 
eequestered  estates,  but  was  unsuccessful. 
Upon  her  return  to  Martinique,  she  found  that 
Baron  d'Aubigne,  during  her  absence,  deprived 
of  her  restraining  influence,  had  utterly  ruined 
himself  by  gambling.  Overwhelmed  by  re 


266  Louis  XIV.  [1640. 

Franpolse  a  Protestant  Persecutions  in  consequence. 

gret  and  misery,  he  almost  immediately  sank 
into  the  grave.  Madame  d'Aubigne  and  her 
Iwo  children,  in  the  extreme  of  poverty,  re- 
turned to  France.  Madame  de  Vilette  again 
took  the  little  Frangoise  to  the  chateau  of  Mar- 
cey  As  her  mother  was  a  Catholic,  Frangoise 
had  been  baptized  by  a  Romish  priest,  and 
reared  in  the  faith  of  her  mother.  The  Count- 
ess de  Neuillant,  who  was  attached  to  the 
household  of  Anne  of  Austria,  was  her  god- 
mother, and  a  very  intense  Catholic ;  but  Ma- 
dame de  Vilette,  the  sister  of  the  child's  father, 
was  a  Protestant.  The  susceptible  child  was 
soon  led  to  adopt  the  faith  of  her  protectress. 
Catholic  zeal  was  such  in  those  days  that 
Madame  de  Neuillant  obtained  an  order  from 
the  court  to  remove  the  little  girl  from  the 
Protestant  family,  and  to  place  her  under  her 
own  guardianship.  Here  every  effort  was 
made  to  induce  Frangoise  to  return  to  the 
Catholic  faith,  but  neither  threats  nor  entreat- 
ies were  of  any  avail.  She  remained  firm  in 
her  Protestant  principles.  The  persecution 
she  endured  amounted  almost  to  martyrdom. 
Madame  de  Neuillant,  in  her  rage,  imposed 
upon  her  the  most  humiliating  and  onerous 
domestic  services.  She  was  the  servant  of  the 


1675.]     THE  W AR  IN  HOLLAND.         267 

Sufferings  of  Franp oise.  Death  of  her  mother. 

servants.  She  fed  the  horses.  She  suffered 
from  cold  and  hunger.  Thus  she,  who  subse- 
quently caused  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of 
Nantes,  and  thus  exposed  the  Protestants  to 
the  most  dreadful  sufferings,  was  a  martyr  of 
the  religion  of  which  she  later  became  so  ter- 
rible a  scourge. 

The  mother,  witnessing  the  distress  of  her 
child,  succeeded  in  withdrawing  her  from  Ma- 
dame de  Neuillant,  and  placing  her  in  a  con- 
vent. Here  the  Ursuline  nuns  won  her  over 
to  the  Catholic  faith.  Proud  of  their  convert, 
who  was  remarkably  intelligent  and  attractive, 
they  kept  her  for  a  year.  But  as  neither  Ma- 
dame de  Neuillant,  from  whom  she  had  been 
removed,  nor  Madame  de  Vilette,  who  dread- 
ed her  return  to  Romanism,  would  pay  her 
board,  they  refused  to  give  her  any  longer  a 
shelter.  Franchise  left  the  convent,  and  join- 
ed her  mother  only  in  time  to  see  her  sink  in 
sorrow  to  the  grave.  She  was  thus  left,  at 
fourteen  years  of  age,  in  utter  destitution,  de- 
pendent upon  charity  for  support. 


268  Louis  XIV.  [1649. 

Beauty  and  intelligence  of  Franf  oise. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
MADAME  DE  MAINTENON. 

THE  extreme  distress  and  destitution  of 
Fran9oise  touched  the  heart  of  Madame 
de  Neuillant.  She  again  took  the  orphan  child 
under  her  charge  and  returned  her  to  school 
in  the  convent.  Frangoise  gradually  develop- 
ed remarkable  beauty  and  intelligence.  Her 
quiet,  unobtrusive,  instinctive  tact  gave  her 
fascinating  power  over  most  who  approached 
her.  She  often  visited  the  countess,  where  she 
attracted  much  admiration  from  the  fashiona- 
ble guests  who  were  ever  assembled  in  her  sa- 
loons. The  dissolute  courtiers  were  lavish  in 
their  attentions  to  the  highly-endowed  child. 
Established  principles  of  virtue  alone  saved 
her  from  ruin.  Misfortune  and  sorrow  had 
rendered  her  precocious  beyond  her  years.  It 
was  her  only  and  her  earnest  desire  to  take 
the  veil,  and  join  the  sisters  in  the  convent 
But  money  was  needed  for  that  purpose,  and 
ahe  had  none. 

There  was  residing  very  near  Madame  tie 


1649.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        269 

Franpoise  d'Aubign6  and  the  poet  Scarron. 

Neuillant,  a  very  remarkable  man,  Paul  Scar- 
ron. He  was  born  of  a  good  family,  and  had 
traveled  extensively.  Having  run  through  the 
disgraceful  round  of  fashionable  dissipation,  he 
had  become  crippled  by  the  paralysis  of  his 
lower  limbs,  and  was  living  a  literary  life  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  competence.  He  was  still 
young.  Imperturbable  gayety,  wonderful  con- 
versational powers,  and  celebrity  as  a  poet, 
caused  his  saloons  to  be  crowded  with  distin- 
guished and  admiring  friends.  Some  one 
mentioned  to  him  the  situation  of  Fran9oise 
d'  Aubigne',  and  her  desire  to  enter  the  convent. 
His  kindly  heart  was  touched,  and,  heading  a 
subscription -list,  he  soon  obtained  sufficient 
funds  from  among  his  friends  to  enable  her  to 
secure  the  retreat  she  desired. 

Quite  overjoyed,  the  maiden  hastened  to  the 
apartments  of  the  poet  to  express  her  gratitude. 
Scarron  was  astonished  when  the  apparition  of 
a  beautiful  girl  of  fifteen,  full  of  life,  and  with 
a  figure  whose  symmetric  grace  the  sculptor 
could  with  difficulty  rival,  appeared  before 
him.  Her  heart  was  glowing  with  gratitude 
which  her  lips  could  hardly  express,  that  he 
was  furnishing  her  with  means  for  a  life-long 
burial  in  the  glooms  of  the  cloister.  The  poet 


270  Louis  XIV.  [1660. 

Scarron's  proposal  of  marriage. 

gazed  upon  her  for  a  moment  quite  bewildered, 
and  then  said,  with  one  of  those  beaming  smiles 
which  irradiated  his  pale,  intellectual  face  with 
rare  beauty, 

"  I  must  recall  my  promise ;  I  can  not  pro- 
cure you  admission  into  a  religious  communi- 
ty. You  are  not  fitted  for  a  nun.  You  can  not 
understand  the  nature  of  the  sacrifice  which 
you  are  so  eager  to  make.  Will  you  become 
my  wife  ?  My  servants  anger  and  neglect  me. 
I  am  unable  to  enforce  obedience.  Were  they 
under  the  control  of  a  mistress,  they  would  do 
their  duty.  My  friends  neglect  me ;  I  can  not 
pursue  them  to  reproach  them  for  their  aban- 
donment. If  they  saw  a  pretty  woman  at  the 
head  of  my  household,  they  would  make  my 
home  cheerful.  I  give  you  a  week  to  decide." 

Franchise  returned  to  the  convent  bewilder- 
ed, almost  stunned.  She  was  alone  in  the 
world,  living  upon  reluctant  charity.  There 
was  no  one  to  whom  she  could  confidingly  look 
for  advice.  The  future  was  all  dark  before 
her.  Scarron,  though  crippled,  was  still  young, 
witty,  and  distinguished  as  one  of  the  most  pop- 
ular poets  of  the  day.  His  saloon  was  the  in- 
tellectual centre  of  the  capital,  where  the  most 
distinguished  men  were  wont  to  meet.  At  the 


1660.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        271 

Marriage  of  Fraujoise  d'Aubigne.  Becomes  a  governess. 

close  of  the  week  Frangoise  returned  an  affirm- 
ative answer.  They  were  soon  married.  She 
found  apparently  a  happy  home  with  her  crip- 
pled but  amiable  husband.  The  brilliant  cir- 
cle in  the  midst  of  which  she  moved  strength- 
ened her  intellect,  enlarged  her  intelligence, 
and  added  to  that  wonderful  ease  and  gracef ul- 
ness  of  manner  with  which  she  was  by  nature 
endowed. 

In  the  year  1660  Monsieur  Scarron  died. 
He  had  lived  expensively,  and,  as  his  income 
was  derived  from  a  life  annuity  which  ceased 
at  his  death,  his  wife  found  herself  again  in 
utter  destitution.  She  was  then  forty-five  years 
of  age.  Madame  de  Montespan,  who  had  fre- 
quently met  her  in  those  brilliant  circles,  which 
had  been  rendered  additionally  attractive  by 
her  personal  loveliness  and  mental  charms,  per- 
suaded the  king  to  appoint  Madame  Scarron 
governess  for  her  children.  A  residence  was 
accordingly  assigned  her  near  the  palace  of  the 
Luxembourg,  where  she  was  installed  in  her 
responsible  office.  She  enjoyed  a  princely  res- 
idence, horses,  a  carriage,  and  a  suite  of  serv- 
ants. The  many  attractions  of  Madame  Scar- 
ron were  not  lost  upon  the  lung.  He  often 
visited  her,  loved  to  converse  with  her,  and 


272  Louis  XIV.  [1660. 

Elevation  of  Madame  Scarron. 

soon  the  jealousy  of  Madame  de  Montespaii 
was  intensely  excited  by  the  manifest  fond- 
ness with  which  he  was  regarding  the  new  fa- 
vorite. 

Greatly  to  the  disgust  of  Madame  de  Monte- 
span,  whose  influence  was  rapidly  waning,  the 
king  appointed  Madame  Scarron  to  the  respon- 
sible office  of  Mistress  of  the  Robes  to  the 
dauphiness,  Mary  Ann  of  Bavaria,  who  was 
soon  to  arrive.  He  also  conferred  upon  her 
the  fine  estate  of  Maintenon,  with  the  title  of 
Marchioness  of  Maintenon.  It  was  now  the 
turn  of  Madame  de  Montespan  to  experience 
the  same  neglect  and  humiliation  through 
which  she  had  seen,  almost  exultingly,  the  un- 
happy Madame  de  la  Valliere  pass. 

The  haughty  favorite  had  reached  her  thir- 
ty-ninth year.  The  charms  of  youth  were  fast 
leaving  her.  Louis  had  attained  his  forty-sec- 
ond year.  Bitter  reproaches  often  rose  between 
them.  The  king  was  weary  of  her  exactions. 
He  made  several  efforts,  but  in  vain,  to  induce 
her  to  retire  to  one  of  the  estates  which  he  had 
conferred  upon  her.  The  daily  increasing  al- 
ienation led  the  king  more  frequently  to  seek 
the  soothing  society  of  the  calm,  gentle,  serious 
Madame  de  Maintenon.  Her  fascinations  of 


MARAMR   DE   MAINTFTNON. 


1—18 


1680.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        275 

Personal  appearance  of  Madame  de  Maiutenon. 


person  and  mind  won  his  admiration,  while  her 
virtues  commanded  his  respect. 

Such  was  the  posture  of  affairs  when  prep- 
arations were  made  for  the  reception  of  the 
dauphiness  with  the  utmost  magnificence.  The 
costumes  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  were  partic- 
ularly remarked  for  their  splendor,  being  cov- 
ered with  jewels  and  embroidered  with  gold. 

"Madame  de  Maintenon,  although  in  her 
forty-fifth  year,  had  lost  no  charm  save  that  of 
youth,  which  had  been  replaced  by  a  stately 
grace,  and  a  dignified  self-possession  that  ren- 
dered it  almost  impossible  to  regret  the  lighter 
and  less  finished  attractions  of  buoyancy  and 
display.  Her  hands  and  arms  were  singularly 
beautiful ;  her  eyes  had  lost  nothing  of  theii 
fire;  her  voice  was  harmoniously  modulated, 
and  there  was  in  the  whole  of  her  demeanor 
unstudied  ease,  which  was  as  far  removed  from 
presumption  as  from  servility."* 

Madame  de  Montespan  was  so  annoyed  by 
the  honors  conferred  upon  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  that  she  was  betrayed  into  saying, "  I 
pity  the  young  foreigner,  who  can  not  fail  to 
be  eclipsed  in  every  way  by  her  Mistress  of 
the  Robes" 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France,  vol.  ii.,  p.  274. 


2,76  Louis  XIV.  [1680. 

Portrait  of  Ann  of  Austria.  The  Princess  of  Tuscany. 

Early  in  the  year  1680  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  and  M.  Bossuet,  bishop  of  Meaux,  who 
had  educated  the  dauphin,  accompanied  by  a 
suitable  retinue,  proceeded  to  Schelestadt  to  re- 
ceive the  dauphiness.  Here  the  ceremony  of 
marriage  by  proxy  was  to  be  solemnized.  The 
king  and  the  dauphin  proceeded  as  far  as  Vit- 
ry  le  Frari^ais  to  receive  the  bride.  She  was 
not  beautiful, "  but  she  was,"  writes  Madame 
de  Sevigne,  "  very  graceful ;  her  hands  and 
arms  were  exquisitely  moulded.  She  had  so 
fine  a  figure,  so  admirable  a  carriage,  such 
handsome  teeth,  such  magnificent  hair,  and  so 
much  amiability  of  manner,  that  she  was  cour- 
teous without  being  insipid,  familiar  without 
losing  her  dignity,  and  had  so  charming  a  de- 
portment that  she  might  be  pardoned  for  not 
pleasing  at  first  sight." 

Louis  seemed  quite  delighted  with  his  new 
daughter-in-law,  and  devoted  himself  much  to 
her  entertainment.  She  was  accompanied  by 
her  sister,  the.  Princess  of  Tuscany,  who  was 
extremely  beautiful.  The  king,  in  conversa- 
tion with  Mary  Ann,  remarked,  "  You  never 
mentioned  to  me  the  fact  that  the  Princess  of 
Tuscany  was  so  singularly  lovely."  With  tact 
which  gave  evidence  of  her  self-possession  and 


1680.]    MADAME  UE  MAINTENON.        277 


Unhappiness  of  the  danpfainess. 


ready  wit,  the  dauphiness  replied,  "  How  can 
I  remember,  sire,  that  my  sister  monopolized 
all  the  beauty  of  the  family,  when  I,  on  my 
part,  have  monopolized  all  its  happiness." 

The  young  dauphiness  had  sufficient  pene- 
tration soon  to  perceive  that  the  attentions 
which  the  king  was  apparently  devoting  to 
her  were  due  mainly  to  his  desire  to  enjoy  the 
society  of  the  beautiful  and  agreeable  Mistress 
of  the  Robes.  The  dauphiness  was  annoyed. 
Naturally  of  a  retiring  disposition,  very  fond 
of  books  and  of  music,  she  soon  wearied  of  the 
perpetual  whirl  of  fashion  and  frivolity,  and 
gradually  withdrew  as  much  as  possible  from 
the  society  of  the  court.  She  imbibed  a  strong 
dislike  to  Madame  de  Maintenon,  which  dis- 
like Madame  de  Montespan  did  every  thing  in 
her  power  to  increase.  The  dauphiness  be- 
came very  unhappy.  She  soon  found  that  her 
husband  was  a  mere  cipher,  whom  she  could 
neither  regard  with  respect  nor  affection. 
Louis  XIV.  allowed  the  dauphiness  to  pursue 
her  own  course.  While  ever  treating  her  with 
the  most  punctilious  politeness,  he  continued, 
much  to  her  chagrin,  and  especially  to  that  oi! 
Madame  de  Montespan,  to  manifest  his  admi- 
ration for  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  con- 


278  Louis  XIV.  [1680. 

Louis's  providence  for  his  children.  Mademoiselle  de  Blois. 

stantly  to  seek  her  society.  Thus  the  clouds 
of  discontent,  jealousy,  and  bitter  hostility  shed 
their  gloom  throughout  the  court.  There  was 
splendor  there,  but  no  happiness. 

It  was  a  good  trait  in  the  character  of  the 
king  that  he  was  affectionately  attached  to  all 
of  his  children.  He  provided  for  them  sump- 
tuously, and  did  every  thing  in  his  power  to 
provide  abundantly  for  those  of  dishonorable 
birth.  '  Royal  decrees  pronounced  them  legiti- 
mate, and  they  were  honored  and  courted  as 
princes  of  the  blood. 

Mademoiselle  de  Blois,  a  daughter  of  Ma- 
dame de  la  Valliere,  was  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful and  highly  accomplished  women  ever 
seen  at  the  French  court.  Her  mother  had 
transmitted  to  her  all  her  many  virtues  and 
none  of  her  frailties.  Tall  and  slender,  her 
figure  was  the  perfection  of  grace.  A  slight- 
ly pensive  air  enhanced  the  charms  of  a  coun- 
tenance remarkably  lovely,  and  of  a  bearing  in 
which  were  combined  the  highest  attractions 
of  self-respect  and  courtly  breeding.  Her 
voice  was  music.  Her  hands  and  feet  were 
finely  modeled.  Several  foreign  princes  had 
solicited  her  hand.  But  the  king,  her  father, 
had  invariably  declined  these  offers.  He  de- 


1680.]   MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        279 

Marriage  of  Mademoiselle  de  Blois. 

clared  that  the  presence  of  his  daughter  was 
essential  to  his  happiness — that  he  could  not 
be  separated  from  her. 

In  1680  Mademoiselle  de  Blois  was  mar- 
ried to  the  Prince  de  Conti,  nephew  of  the 
great  Conde'.  It  was  as  brilliant  a  marriage 
as  exalted  rank,  gorgeous  dresses,  superb  dia- 
monds, and  courtly  etiquette  could  create. 
The  king  could  not  have  honored  the  nuptials 
more  had  he  been  giving  a  daughter  of  the 
queen  to  the  proudest  monarch  in  Europe, 
Her  princely  dowry  was  the  same  as  would 
have  been  conferred  on  such  an  occasion.  It 
amounted  to  five  hundred  thousand  golden 
crowns.  This  was  the  same  sum  which  the 
Spanish  monarchy  assigned  Maria  Theresa 
upon  her  marriage  with  the  King  of  France. 

It  is  difficult  to  imagine  what  must  have 
been  the  emotions  of  Madame  de  la  Yalliere 
when  she  heard,  in  her  narrow  cell,  the  details 
of  the  brilliant  nuptials  of  her  child.  Her 
loving  heart  must  have  experienced  conflicting 
sensations  of  joy  and  of  anguish.  Madame  de 
la  Valliere  had  also  a  son,  Count  Vermandois. 
He  became  exceedingly  dissipated,  so  much  so 
as  to  excite  the  severe  displeasure  of  the  king. 
Rumor  says  that  on  one  occasion  he  had  the 


280  Louis  XIV.  [1703. 

The  man  with  the  iron  mask. 

audacity  to  strike  the  dauphin.  The  council 
condemned  him  to  death.  Louis  XIV.,  through 
paternal  affection,  commuted  the  punishment 
to  imprisonment  for  life.  The  report  was 
spread  that  he  had  died  of  a  contagious  dis- 
ease, while  he  was  privately  conveyed  to  the 
prison  of  St.  .Marguerite,  and  subsequently  to 
the  Bastile,  his  face  being  ever  concealed  un- 
der an  iron  mask.  Here  he  died,  it  is  said,  on 
the  19th  of  November,  1703,  after  an  imprison- 
ment of  between  thirty  and  forty  years.  The 
true  explanation  of  this  great  historical  mys- 
tery will  probably  now  never  be  ascertained. 

The  story  of  the  "  Man  with  the  Iron  Mask" 
is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  the  annals  of 
the  past.  Probably  no  information  will  ever 
be  obtained  upon  this  subject  more  full  than 
that  which  Voltaire  has  given.  He  says  that 
a  prisoner  was  sent  in  great  secrecy  to  the  cha- 
teau in  the  island  of  St.  Marguerite ;  that  he 
was  young,  tall,  and  of  remarkably  graceful 
figure.  His  face  was  concealed  by  an  iron 
mask,  with  coils  of  steel  so  arranged  that  he 
could  eat  without  its  removal.  Orders  were 
given  to  kill  him  instantly  if  he  should  an- 
nounce who  he  was.  He  remained  at  the  cha- 
teau many  years  in  close  imprisonment. 


1690.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        281 

Measures  adopted  to  prevent  discovery. 

In  1690,  M.  St.  Mars,  governor  of  the  prison 
at  St.  Marguerite,  was  transferred  to  the  charge 
of  the  Bastile  in  Paris.  The  prisoner,  ever 
masked,  was  taken  with  him,  and  was  treated 
on  the  journey  with  the  highest  respect.  A 
well-furnished  chamber  was 'provided  for  him 
in  that  immense  chateau.  The  governor  him- 
self brought  him  his  food,  and  stood  respect- 
fully like  a  servile  attendant  while  he  ate.  The 
captive  was  extremely  fond  of  fine  linen  and 
lace,  and  was  very  attentive  to  his  personal  ap- 
pearance. Upon  his  death  the  walls  of  his 
chamber  were  rubbed  down  and  whitewashed. 
Even  the  tiles  of  the  floor  were  removed,  lest 
he  might  have  concealed  a  note  beneath  them. 

It  is  very  remarkable  that,  while  it  can  not 
be  doubted  that  the  prisoner  was  a  person  of 
some  great  importance,  no  such  personage  dis- 
appeared from  Europe  at  that  time.  It  is  a 
plausible  supposition  that  the  king,  unwilling 
to  consign  his  own  son  to  death,  sent  him  to 
life-long  imprisonment ;  and  that  the  report  of 
his  death  by  a  contagions  disease  was  circu- 
lated that  the  mother  might  be  saved  the  an- 
guish of  knowing  the  dreadful  fate  of  her 
child.  Still  there  are  many  difficulties  con- 
nected with  this  explanation,  and  there  is 


282  Louis  XIV.  [1680. 

Madame  de  Montespan  and  her  eon.  Mary  Angelica  Ronssille. 

none  other  which  has  ever  satisfied  public  civ 
riosity. 

Madame  de  Montespan  had  eight  children, 
who  were  placed  under  the  care  of  Madame 
de  Maintenon.  Her  eldest  son,  Count  de  Vix- 
en, died  in  his  eleventh  year.  Her  second  sonr 
the  Duke  de  Maine,  was  a  lad  of  remarkable 
character  and  attainments.  He  loved  Madame 
de  Maintenon.  He  did  not  love  his  mother. 
Unfeelingly  he  reproached  her  with  his  igno- 
ble birth.  Madame  de  Montespan,  though  still 
a  fine-looking  woman,  brilliant,  witty,  and  al- 
ways conspicuous  for  the  splendor  of  her  equi- 
page and  her  attire,  felt  every  hour  embittered 
by  the  consciousness  that  her  power  over  the 
king  had  passed  away.  She  regarded  the  se- 
rious, thoughtful  Madame  de  Maintenon  as  her 
successful  rival,  though  her  social  relations  with 
the  king  were  entirely  above  reproach. 

The  character  of  the  discarded  favorite  is  de- 
veloped by  the  measure  she  adopted  to  lure  the 
susceptible  and  unprincipled  monarch  from  the 
very  agreeable  society  of  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon.  In  the  department  of  Provence  there 
was  a  young  lady  but  eighteen  years  of  ager 
Mary  Angelica  Roussille.  She  was  of  snch 
wonderful  beauty  that  its  fame  had  reached 


1680."]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        283 

Intrigue  of  Madame  de  Montespan. 

Paris.  Her  parents  had  educated  her  with  the 
one  sole  object  of  rendering  her  as  fascinating 
as  possible.  They  wished  to  secure  for  her  the 
position  of  a  maid  of  honor  to  the  queen,  hop- 
ing that  by  so  doing  she  would  attract  the  fa- 
vor of  the  king.  Madame  de  Montespan  heard 
of  her.  She  plotted  to  bring  this  young  and 
extraordinary  beauty  to  the  court,  that,  by  her 
personal  charms,  she  might  outrival  the  mental 
and  social  attractions  of  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon.  She  described  her  intended  protege  to 
the  king  in  such  enthusiastic  strains  that  his 
curiosity  was  roused.  She  was  brought  to 
court.  The  monarch,  satiated  by  indulgence, 
oppressed  by  ennui,  ever  seeking  some  new  ex- 
citement, was  at  once  won  by  the  charms  of  the 
beautiful  Mary  Angelica.  She  became  an  ac- 
knowledged favorite.  He  lavished  upon  her 
gifts  of  jewels  and  of  gold,  and  dignified  her 
with  the  title  of  the  Duchesse  de  Fontanges. 
The  court  blazed  again  with  splendor  to  greet 
the  new  favorite ;  and,  let  it  not  be  forgotten, 
to  meet  this  royal  splendor,  millions  of  peas- 
ants were  consigned  to  hovels,  and  life -long 
penury  and  want. 

There  was  a  constant  succession  of  theatric 
»hows,  ballets,  and  concerts.     Mary  Angelica 


284:  Louis  XIV.  [1680. 

Display  of  the  Duchess  de  Fontanges.  A  quarrel. 

was  a  gay,  frivolous,  conceited,  heartless  girl, 
who  recklessly  squandered  the  gold  so  profuse- 
ly poured  into  her  lap.  The  insolent  favorite 
even  ventured  to  treat  the  queen  with  disdain, 
assuming  the  priority.  In  the  streets  she  made 
a  truly  regal  display  in  a  gorgeous  carriage 
drawn  by  eight  cream-colored  horses,  while  the 
clustering  ringlets,  the  floating  plumes,  and  the 
truly  radiant  beauty  of  the  parvenue  duchess 
attracted  all  eyes.  If  she  had  ever  heard,  she 
refused  to  heed  the  warning  voice  of  the  proph- 
et, saying, "  Know  thou  that  for  all  these  things 
God  will  bring  thee  into  judgment." 

The  scheme  of  Madame  de  Montespan  had 
succeeded  far  more  fully  than  she  had  expect- 
ed or  desired.  The  absorption  of  the  king  in 
the  new-comer  was  so  entire  that  the  discarded 
favorite  was  tortured  with  new  pangs  of  jeal- 
ousy and  remorse.  Implacably  she  hated  the 
Duchess  of  Fontanges.  With  her  sharp  tongue 
she  mercilessly  cut  the  luxurious  beauty,  who 
had  intelligence  enough  to  feel  the  sarcasms 
keenly,  but  had  no  ability  to  retort.  A  dis- 
graceful quarrel  ensued,  in  which  the  most  vul- 
gar epithets  and  the  grossest  witticisms  were 
bandied  between  them.  The  king  himself  at 
length  found  it  necessary  to  interpose.  lie  ap- 


1680.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        285 

Virtuous  endeavors  of  Madame  de  Maintenon. 

plied  to  Madame  de  Maintenon  for  counsel 
and  aid.  She  had  quietly  attended  to  her  du- 
Xies,  observing  all  that  was  passing,  but  taking 
no  part  in  these  shameful  intrigues.  Con- 
scious that  any  attempt  to  -influence  Madame 
de  Montespan,  hardened  as  she  was  in  her  ca- 
reer, would  be  futile,  she  ventured  to  address 
herself  to  the  young  and  inexperienced  Duch- 
ess de  Fontanges.  Gently  she  endeavored  to 
lead  her  to  some  conception  of  the  enormity 
of  the  life  she  was  leading,  and  of  the  inde- 
cency of  compromising  the  king  and  the  court 
by  undignified  brawls. 

The  vain  and  heartless  beauty  received  her 
counsels  with  bitter  derision  and  passionate  in- 
sult, and  attributed  every  annoyance  to  which, 
as  she  averred,  she  was  continually  subjected, 
to  the  jealous  envy  of  those  with  whose  ambi- 
tious views  she  had  interfered ;  more  than 
hinting  that  Madame  de  Maintenon  herself 
was  among  the  number.  She  was,  however, 
only  answered  by  a  placid  smile,  and  instruct- 
ed to  remember  that  those  who  sought  to  share 
her  triumphs  and  her  splendor  must  be  con- 
tent at  the  same  time  to  partake  her  sin.  It 
was  a  price  too  heavy  to  pay  even  for  the 
smiles  of  a  monarcjh.  In  vain  did  the  flushed 


280  Louis  XIV.  [1680. 

Madame  de  Mainteuon's  efforts  unsuccessful. 

and  furious  beauty  plead  the  example  of  oth- 
ers, higher  born  and  more  noble  than  herself . 
The  cairn  and  unmoved  monitress  instantly' 
availed  herself  of  this  hollow  argument  to  bid 
her,  in  her  turn,  t6  set  an  example  which  the 
noblest  and  the  best-born  might  be  proud  to 
follow. 

"  And  how  can  I  do  this  ?"  was  the  sullen 
inquiry. 

"  By  renouncing  the  society  of  the  king,'* 
firmly  replied  Madame  de  Maintenon.  "Ei- 
ther you  love  him,  or  you  love  him  not  If 
you  love  him,  you  should  make  an  effort  to 
save  both  his  honor  and  your  own.  If  you  do 
not  love  him,  it  will  cost  you  no  effort  to  with- 
draw from  the  court.  In  either  case  you  will 
act  wisely  and  nobly." 

"Would  not  any  one  believe  who  heard 
you,"  passionately  exclaimed  the  duchess, "  that 
it  was  as  easy  to  leave  a  king  as  to  throw  off  a 
glove?"* 

This  was  the  only  reply.  The  mission  of 
Madame  de  Maintenon  had  entirely  failed. 
The  proud,  unblushing  beauty,  whose  effront- 
ery passed  all  bounds,  was  greatly  enraged 
against  Madame  de  Maintenon ;  and  when  she 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France 


1684.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        287 

Sickness  and  distress  of  the  Duchess  de  Pontanges. 

perceived  that  the  king  was  again  beginning 
to  take  refuge  in  her  virtuous  society  and  con- 
versation, she  vowed  the  most  signal  vengeance. 

But  the  day  of  retribution  soon  came — far 
sooner  than  could  have  been  expected.  The 
guilty  and  pampered  duchess  was  taken  ill — 
hopelessly  so,  with  a  sickness  that  destroyed 
all  her  beauty.  She  became  sallow,  pallid, 
gaunt,  emaciate,  haggard.  The  selfish,  heart- 
less king  wished  to  see  her  no  more.  He  did 
not  conceal  his  repugnance,  and  quite  forsook 
her.  The  humiliation,  distress,  and  abandon- 
ment of  the  guilty  duchess  was  more  than  she 
could  bear.  She  begged  permission,  either 
sincerely  or  insincerely,  to  retire  to  the  con- 
vent of  Port  Royal.  Louis,  whose  crime  was 
far  greater  than  that  of  his  wrecked  and  ruin- 
ed victim,  was  glad  to  be  rid  of  her.  But  she 
was  too  far  gone,  in  her  rapid  illness,  to  be  re- 
moved. It  was  soon  manifest  that  her  life 
was  drawing  near  to  its  close.  She  begged  to 
see  the  king  once  more  before  she  died. 

Louis  XIV.  dreaded  every  thing  which  could 
remind  him  of  that  tomb  toward  which  all  are 
hastening,  and  especially  did  he  recoil  from 
every  death-bed  scene.  The  wretched  man 
would  not  have  listened  to  the  plea  of  the  ,dy- 


288  Louis  XI V.  [1684. 

Death  of  the  Duchess  de  Fontanges.     Mad.  de  Moutespan  rejoices. 

ing  girl  had  not  the  remonstrances  of  his  con- 
fessor constrained  him.  Thus,  reluctantly,  he 
entered  the  dying  chamber.  He  found  Mary 
Angelica  faded,  withered,  and  ghastly — all 
unlike  the  radiant  beauty  whom  for  a  few 
brief  months  he  had  almost  worshiped.  Ego- 
tist as  he  was,  he  could  not  restrain  his  tears. 
Her  glassy  eyes  were  riveted  upon  his  counte- 
nance. Her  clammy  hand  almost  convulsive- 
ly clasped  his  own.  Her  livid  lips  quivered  in 
their  last  effort  as  she  besought  him  to  pay 
her  debts,  and  sometimes  to  remember  her. 
Louis  promised  all  she  asked.  As  she  sank 
back  upon  her  pillow,  she  gasped  out  the  dec- 
laration that  she  should  die  happy,  as  she  saw 
that  the  king  could  weep  for  her.  Immedi- 
ately after  she  fell  into  a  swoon  and  died. 

The  exultation  of  Madame  de  Montespan 
at  her  death  was  so  indecent  and  undisguised 
as  to  excite  the  disgust  of  the  king.  Her  very 
name  became  hateful  to  him.  Wicked  man 
as  he  was,  Louis  XIV.  believed  in  Christianity, 
and  in  its  revelations  of  responsibility  at  the 
bar  of  God.  He  was  shocked,  and  experienced 
much  remorse  in  view  of  this  death-bed  with- 
out repentance.  He  could  not  conceal  from 
himself  that  he  was  in  no  inconsiderable  de 


1684.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        289 

Supremacy  of  Madame  de  Maintenon.  Pere  la  Chaise. 

gree  responsible  for  the  guilt  which  burdened 
the  soul  of  the  departed.  His  aversion  to  Ma- 
dame de  Montespan  was  increased  by  the  re- 
port, then  generally  circulated,  that  the  duch- 
ess had  died  from  poison,  administered  through 
her  agency.  The  poor  victim  of  sin  and  shame 
was  soon  forgotten  in  the  grave.  The  court 
whirled  on  in  its  usual  round  of  frivolous  and 
guilty  pleasures,  such  as  Babylon  could  scarce- 
ly have  rivaled. 

The  supremacy  of  Madame  de  Maintenon 
over  Louis  XIV.  was  that  of  a  strong  mind 
ov.er  a  feeble  one.  The  king  had  many  very 
weak  points  in  his  character.  He  was  utterly 
selfish,  and  the  slave  of  his  vices.  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  with  much  address,  strove  to  recall 
him  to  a  better  life.  In  these  efforts  she  was 
much  aided  by  the  king's  confessor,  P&re  la 
Chaise.  This  truly  good  man  reminded  the 
king  that  he  had  already  passed  the  fortieth 
year  of  his  age,  that  his  youth  had  gone  forev- 
er, that  he  would  soon  enter  upon  the  evening 
of  his  days,  and  that,  as  yet,  he  had  done  noth- 
ing to  secure  his  eternal  salvation.  He  had 
already  received  many  warnings  as  lie  had  fol- 
lowed one  after  another  to  the  grave.  The 
king  was  naturally  thoughtful,  and  perhaps 

1—19 


290  Louis  XIV.  [1684. 

Kemoree  of  Louis.  Degradation  of  the  people. 

•even  religiously  inclined.  Not  a  few  events 
had  already  occurred  calculated  to  harrow  his 
soul  with  remorse.  lie  had  seen  his  mother 
die,  one  of  the  saddest  of  deaths.  He  had 
seen  his  sister  Henrietta,  his  brother's  bride, 
whom  he  had  loved  with  more  than  a  brother's 
love,  writhing  in  death's  agonies,  the  victim  of 
poison.  He  had  followed  several  of  his  chil- 
dren to  the  grave.  Madame  de  la  Yalliere, 
whom  he  had  loved  as  ardently  as  he  was  ca- 
pable of  loving  any  one,  now  a  ruined,  heart- 
broken victim  of  his  selfishness  and  sin,  \vas 
consigned  to  living  burial  in  the  glooms  of  the 
cloister.  He  could  not  banish  from  his  mind 
the  dreadful  scenes  of  the  death  of  the  Duch- 
ess of  Fontanges. 

Just  at  this  time  the  dauphiness  gave  birth 
to  a  son.  This  advent  of  an  heir  to  the  throne 
caused  universal  rejoicing  throughout  the  court 
and  the  nation.  It  is  melancholy  to  reflect 
that  the  people,  crushed  and  impoverished  as 
they  were  by  the  most  atrocious  despotism, 
were  so  unintelligent  that  they  regarded  their 
oppressors  with  something  of  the  idolatrous 
homage*  with  which  the  heathen  bow  before 
their  hideous  gods. 

The  king  himself,  at  times,  manifested  a  kind 


1684.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        291 

Birth  of  the  Duke  of  Burgoyne.  Louis  taken  ilL 

of  tender  interest  in  the  people,  who  were  so 
mercilessly  robbed  to  maintain  the  splendor 
of  his  court  and  the  grandeur  of  his  armies 
Upon  the  birth  of  the  young  prince,  who  re- 
ceived the  title  of  the  Duke  of  Burgoyne,  the 
populace  of  Paris  crowded  to  Versailles  with 
their  rude  congratulations.  Every  avenue  was. 
thronged  with  the  immense  multitude.  They 
even  flooded  the  palace  and  poured  into  the 
saloons.  The  king,  whose  heart  was  softened 
by  the  birth  of  a  grandson  to  whom  the  crown 
might  be  transmitted,  received  all  very  gra- 
ciously. 

The  birth  of  an  heir  to  the  crown  added 
much  to  the  personal  importance  of  the  dau- 
phiness.  But,  neglected  by  her  husband  and 
annoyed  by  the  scenes  transpiring  around  her, 
she  was  a  very  unhappy  woman.  No  efforts 
on  the  part  of  the  court  could  draw  her  from 
the  silence  and  gloom  of  her  retirement.  Ma- 
dame de  Maintenon  and  the  king's  confessor, 
Pere  la  Chaise,  were  co-operating  in  the  en- 
deavor to  lure  the  king  from  his  life  of  guilty 
indulgence  into  the  paths  of  virtue.  Fortu- 
nately, at  this  time  the  monarch  was  attacked 
by  severe  and  painful  illness.  Death  was  to 
him  truly  the  king  of  terrors.  He  was  easily 


292  Louis  XIV.  [1684. 

Dismissal  of  Mad.  de  Montespan.  Resolves  to  build  a  convent. 

influenced  to  withdraw  from  his  criminal  re- 
lations with  one  whom  he  had  for  some  time 
been  regarding  with  repugnance.  Madame  de 
Maintenon  was  deputed  to  inform  Madame  de 
Montespan  of  the  king's  determination  never 
again  to  regard  her  in  any  other  light  than  that 
of  a  friend. 

It  was  a  very  painful  and  embarrassing  com- 
mission for  Madame  de  Maintenon  to  fulfill. 
But  the  will  of  the  king  was  law.  She  dis- 
charged the  duty  with  great  delicacy  and  kind- 
ness. Deeply  mortified  as  was  the  discarded  fa- 
vorite, she  was  not  entirely  unprepared  for  the 
announcement.  She  had  for  some  time  been 
painfully  aware  of  her  waning  influence,  and 
had  been  preparing  for  herself  a  retreat  where 
she  could  still  enjoy  opulence,  rank,  and  power. 

In  pursuit  of  this  object,  she  had  determined 
to  erect  and  endow  a  convent.  The  sisterhood, 
appointed  by  her  and  entirely  dependent  upon 
her  liberality,  would  treat  her  with  the  defer- 
ence due  to  a  queen.  The  king  had  lavished 
such  enormous  sums  upon  her  that  she  had 
large  wealth  at  her  disposal.  She  had  already 
selected  a  spot  for  the  convent  in  the  Faubourg 
St.  Germain,  and  had  commenced  rearing  the 
edifice.  It  so  happened  that  the  corner-stone 


1684.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.     .  293 

Her  great  wealth.  The  convent  of  St.  Joseph  completed. 

was  laid  at  the  very  moment  in  which  the  un- 
happy Duchess  de  Fontanges  was  breathing 
her  last.  Madame  de  Montespan  had  no  idea 
of  taking  the  veil  herself.  The  glooms  of  the 
cloister  had  for  her  no  attractions.  Her  only 
object  was  to  rear  a  miniature  kingdom,  where 
she,  having  lost  the  potent  charms  of  youth  and 
beauty,  could  still  enjoy  an  undisputed  reign. 

The  marchioness  already  owned  a  dwelling, 
luxuriously  furnished,  which  the  kfing  had  pre- 
sented  her,  in  the  Rue  St.  Andre  des  Arcs. 
Her  wealth  was  so  great  that,  in  addition  to 
the  convent,  she  also  planned  erecting  for  her- 
self a  magnificent  hotel,  in  imitation  of  the  pal- 
ace of  the  Tuileries.  The  estimated  expense 
was  equal  to  the  sum  of  one  million  five  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  at  the  present  day. 

The  workmen  upon  the  convent  were  urged 
to  the  most  energetic  labor,  and  the  building 
was  soon  completed.  The  marchioness  gave 
it  the  name  of  St.  Joseph.  One  room  was 
sumptuously  furnished  for  her  private  accom- 
modation. She  appointed  the  abbess.  The 
great  bell  of  the  convent  was  to  ring  twenty 
minutes  whenever  she  visited  the  sisterhood. 
As  the  founder  of  the  community,  she  was  to 
receive  the  honors  of  the  incense  at  high  mass 


294:  Louis  XIV,  [1684. 

The  kiug  recovers,  and  goes  to  Flanders. 

and  vespers.  The  marchioness  richly  enjoyed 
this  adulation,  and  was  a  frequent  visitor  at 
the  convent. 

The  king,  having  recovered  from  his  illness, 
decided  upon  a  journey  to  Flanders.  Oppress- 
ed with  ennui,  he  sought  amusement  for  him- 
self and  his  court.  He  wished  also  to  impress 
his  neighbors  by  an  exhibition  of  his  splendor 
and  power.  The  queen,  with  the  dauphin  and 
dauphiness,  attended  by  their  several  suites,  ac- 
companied him  on  this  expedition.  Madame 
de  Montespan  was  excessively  chagrined  in 
finding  her  name  omitted  in  the  list  of  those 
who  were  to  make  up  the  party.  But  the  name 
of  Madame  de  Maintenon  headed  the  list  of 
the  attendants  of  the  princess. 

The  gorgeous  procession,  charioted  in  the 
highest  appliances  of  regal  splendor,  swept 
along  through  cities  and  villages,  every  where 
received  with  triumphal  arches,  the  ringing  of 
bells,  the  explosions  of  artillery,  and  the  blaze 
of  illuminations  till  the  sea-port  of  Dunkirk 
was  reached.  Here  there  was  a  sham -fight 
between  two  frigates.  It  was  a  serene  and 
lovely  day.  The  members  of  the  royal  suite, 
from  the  deck  of  a  bark  sumptuously  prepared 
for  their  accommodation,  witnessed  with  much 


1685.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        295- 

Return  to  Versailles.  Political  ambition  of  Louis  XIV. 

delight  the  novel  spectacle.  At  the  close,  the 
king  repaired  to  one  of  the  men-of-war,  upon 
whose  deck  a  lofty  throne  was  erected,  draped 
with  a  costly  awning.  Here  the  splendor-lov- 
ing monarch,  surrounded  by  that  ceremonial 
and  pageantry  which  were  so  dear  to  him,  re- 
ceived the  congratulations  of  the  dignitaries  of 
his  own  and  other  lands  upon  his  recent  recov- 
ery from  illness.  At  the  end  of  a  month  the 
party  returned  to  Versailles. 

Devoted  as  Louis  XIY.  was  to  his  own  self- 
ish gratification,  he  was  fully  aware  of  the  de- 
pendence of  that  gratification  upon  the  aggran- 
dizement of  the  realm,  which  he  regarded  as- 
his  private  property.  Upon  this  tour  of  pleas- 
ure he  invested  the  city  of  Luxembourg  with 
an  army  of  thirty  thousand  men,  and  took  it 
after  a  siege  of  eight  days.  He  then  overrun 
the  Electorate  of  Treves,  demolished  all  its 
fine  fortifications,  and  by  the  energies  of  pil- 
lage, fire,  and  ruin,  rendered  it  impossible  for 
the  territory  hereafter  to  render  any  opposition- 
to  his  arms.  The  destructive  genius  of  Lou- 
vois  had  suggested  that  these  unnecessary  spo- 
liations would  tend  to  increase  the  authority 
of  his  royal  master  by  inspiring  a  greater  ter- 
ror of  his  power. 


296  Louis  XIV.  [1685. 

Sickness  and  death  of  the  queen,  Maria  Theresa. 

Soon  after  this,  the  queen,  Maria  Theresa, 
was  suddenly  taken  sick.  Her  indisposition, 
at  first  slight,  rapidly  increased  in  severity,  and 
an  abscess  developed  itself  under  her  arm. 
The  pain  became  excruciating.  Her  physician 
opened  a  vein  and  administered  an  emetic  at 
11  o'clock  in  the  morning.  It  was  a  fatal  pre- 
scription. At  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  she 
died.  As  this  unhappy  queen,  so  gentle,  so 
loving,  so  forgiving,  was  sinking  away  in  death, 
she  still,  with  woman's  deathless  love,  cherish- 
ed tenderly  in  her  heart  the  memory  of  the 
king.  Just  as  she  was  breathing  her  last,  she 
drew  from  her  finger  a  superb  ring,  which  she 
presented  to  Madame  de  Maintenon  saying, 

"Adieu,  my  very  dear  marchioness.  To 
you  I  confide  the  happiness  of  the  king." 

Maria  Theresa  was  one  of  the  most  lovely 
of  women.  Her  conduct  was  ever  irreproach- 
able. Amiable,  unselfish,  warm-hearted,  from 
the  time  of  her  marriage  she  devoted  herself 
to  the  promotion  of  the  happiness  of  her  hus- 
band. His  neglect  and  unfaithfulness  caused 
her,  in  secret,  to  shed  many  tears.  Naturally 
diffident,  and  rendered  timid  by  his  undisguised 
indifference,  she  trembled  whenever  the  king 
approached  her.  A  casual  smile  from  him 


1685.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        297 


Tribute  to  her  worth. 


Masses. 


Versailles. 


filled  her  with  delight.  The  king  could  not 
be  insensible  to  her  many  virtues.  Perhaps 
remorse  was  mingled  with  the  emotions  which 
compelled  him  to  weep  bitterly  over  her  death. 
As  he  gazed  upon  her  lifeless  remains,  he  ex- 
claimed, 

"Kind  and  forbearing  friend,  this  is  the 
first  sorrow  that  you  have  caused  me  through- 
out twenty  years." 

The  royal  corpse  lay  in  state  at  Versailles 
for  ten  days.  During  this  time  perpetual 
masses  were  performed  for  the  soul  of  the  de- 
parted from  7  o'clock  in  the  morning  until 
dark.  The  king  had  reared  the  gorgeous  pal- 


PALACE   OK   VERSAILLES. 


298  Louis  XIV.  [1685. 

HeartleBsnese  of  the  king  and  of  the  courtiers. 

ace  of  Versailles  that  he  might  not  be  annoy- 
ed, in  his  Babylonian  revelry,  by  the  sight  of 
the  towers  of  St.  Denis.  But  God  did  not  al- 
low the  guilty  monarch  to  forget  that  kings  as 
well  as  peasants  were  doomed  to  die.  The 
king  was  compelled  to  accompany  the  remains 
of  Maria  Theresa  from  the  sumptuous  palace, 
where  she  had  found  so  splendid  and  so  un- 
happy a  home,  to  the  gloomy  vaults  of  the  ab- 
bey, where,  in  darkness  and  silence,  those  re- 
mains were  to  moulder  to  dust. 

The  queen  was  forgotten  even  before  she 
was  buried.  The  gay  courtiers,  anxious  to 
banish  as  speedily  as  possible  from  their  minds 
all  thoughts  of  death  and  judgment,  sought,  in 
songs,  and  mirth,  and  wine,  to  bury  even  the 
grave  in  oblivion.  The  funeral  car  was  deco- 
rated with  the  most  imposing  emblems  of 
mourning.  A  numerous  train  of  carriages 
followed,  filled  with  the  great  officers  of  the 
crown  and  with  the  ladies  of  the  royal  house- 
hold. The  procession  was  escorted  by  a  bril- 
liant and  numerous  body  of  mounted  troops. 

"  But  nothing  could  exceed  the  indecency 
with  which  the  journey  was  performed.  From 
all  the  carriages  issued  the  sounds  of  heartless 
jest  and  still  more  heartless  laughter.  The 


1685.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        299 

Accident.  Death  of  the  minister  of  finance. 

troops  had  no  sooner  reached  the  plain  of  St. 
Denis  than  they  dispersed  in  every  direction, 
some  galloping  right  and  left,  and  others  firing 
at  the  birds  that  were  flying  over  their  heads."* 

The  king,  on  the  day  of  the  funeral,  in  the 
insane  endeavor  to  obliterate  from  his  mind 
thoughts  of  death  and  burial,  ordered  out  the 
hounds  and  plunged  into  the  excitement  of  the 
chase.  His  horse  pitched  the  monarch  over 
his  head  into  a  ditch  of  stagnant  water,  dislo- 
cating one  of  his  shoulders. 

About  this  time,  Jean  Baptiste  Colbert,  the 
king's  minister  of  finance,  and  probably  the 
most  extraordinary  man  of  the  age,  died,  worn 
out  with  toil,  anxiety,  and  grief.  Few  men 
have  ever  passed  through  this  world  leaving 
behind  them  such  solid  results  of  their  labors. 
As  minister  of  finance,  he  furnished  the  king 
with  all  the  money  he  needed  for  his  expensive 
wars  and  luxurious  indulgence.  As  superin- 
tendent of  buildings,  arts,  and  manufactures, 
he  enlarged  the  Tuileries,  completed  the  gor- 
geous palace  of  Versailles,  reared  the  magnifi- 
cent edifices  of  the  Invalides,  Vincennes,  and 
Marly,  and  founded  the  Gobelins.  These  and 
many  other  works  of  a  similar  nature  he  per* 

*  Memoirs  of  Mademoiselle  de  Montpensier. 


300  Louis  XiV.  [1684. 

Ingratitude.  Remarkable  condescension  on  the  part  of  Louis. 

formed,  though  constantly  struggling  against 
the  jealousy  and  intrigues  of  powerful  oppo- 
nents. 

The  king  seldom,  if  ever,  manifested  any 
gratitude  to  those  who  served  him.  Colbert, 
in  the  64th  year  of  his  age,  exhausted  by  in- 
cessant labor,  and  harassed  by  innumerable  an- 
noyances, was  on  a  dying  bed.  Sad  reflections 
seemed  to  overwhelm  him.  Not  a  gleam  of 
joy  lighted  up  his  fading  eye.  The  heavy  tax- 
es he  had  imposed  upon  the  people  rendered 
him  unpopular.  He  could  not  be  insensible  to 
imprecations  which  threatened  to  break  up  his 
funeral  and  to  drag  his  remains  ignominiously 
through  the  streets.  The  king  condescended, 
as  his  only  act  of  courtesy,  to  send  a  messenger 
to  ask  tidings  of  the  condition  of  his  minister. 
As  the  messenger  approached  the  bed,  the  dy- 
ing sufferer  turned  away  his  face,  saying, 

"  I  will  not  hear  that  man  spoken  of  again. 
If  I  had  done  for  God  what  I  have  done  for 
him,  I  should  have  been  saved  ten  times  over. 
Now  I  know  not  what  may  be  my  fate." 

The  day  after  his  death,  without  any  marks 
of  honor,  his  remains  were  conveyed,  in  an  or- 
dinary hearse,  to  the  church  of  St.  Eustache. 
1  few  of  the  police  alone  followed  the  coffin. 


1684.]    MADAME  DE  MAINTENON.        301 

Genoa  assailed.  Capture.  The  Doge  humbled. 

Genoa  had  offended  the  king  by  selling 
powder  to  the  Algerines,  and  some  ships  to 
Spain.  Louis  seized,  by  secret  warrant,  lettre 
de  cachet,  the  Genoese  embassador,  and  plunged 
him  into  one  of  the  dungeons  of  the  Bastile. 
He  then  sent  a  fleet  of  over  fifty  vessels  of  war 
to  chastise,  with  terrible  severity,  those  who 
had  offended  him.  The  ships  sailed  from 
Toulon  on  the  6th  of  May,  1684,  and  entered 
the  harbor  of  Genoa  on  the  19th.  Immedi- 
ately there  was  opened  upon  the  city  a  terrific 
fire.  In  a  few  hours  fourteen  thousand  bombs 
were  hurled  into  its  dwellings  and  its  streets. 
A  large  portion  of  those  marble  edifices,  which 
had  given  the  city  the  name  of  Genoa  the  /Su- 
perb,  were  crumbled  to  powder.  Fourteen 
thousand  soldiers  were  then  disembarked. 
They  advanced  through  the  suburbs,  burning 
the  buildings  before  them.  The  whole  city 
was  threatened  with  total  destruction.  The 
authorities,  in  terror,  sent  to  the  conqueror  im- 
ploring his  clemency.  The  haughty  King  of 
France  demanded  that  the  Doge  of  Genoa, 
with  four  of  his  principal  ministers,  should  re- 
pair to  the  palace  of  Versailles  and  humbly 
implore  his  pardon.  The  doge,  utterly  power- 
less, was  compelled  to  submit  to  the  humilia- 
ting: terms. 


302  Louis  XIY.  [1685. 

Character  of  Madame  de  Main  tenon. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT  OP 

NANTES. 

IT  is  the  undisputed  testimony  of  all  the  con- 
temporaries of  Madame  de  Maintenon  that 
she  possessed  a  character  of  rare  excellence. 
Her  personal  attractions,  sound  judgment,  in- 
stinctive delicacy  of  perception,  and  conversa- 
tional brilliance,  gave  her  a  certain  suprem- 
acy wherever  she  appeared.  The  fidelity  with 
which  she  fulfilled  her  duties,  her  high  relig- 
ious principles,  and  the  bold,  yet  tender  remon- 
strances with  which  she  endeavored  to  reclaim 
the  king  from  his  unworthy  life,  excited  first 
his  astonishment,  and  then  his  profound  admi- 
ration. 

Every  day  the  king,  at  three  o'clock,  proceed- 
ed to  the  apartments  of  Madame  de  Maintenon, 
and,  taking  a  seat  in  an  arm-chair,  sat  in  a  re- 
clining posture,  sometimes  silently  watching 
the  progress  of  her  tapestry-work,  and  again 
engaged  in  quiet  conversation.  Occasionally 
some  of  Racine's  tragedies  were  read.  The 


1685.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    303 

Depression  of  the  dauphiness.  Pere  la  Chaise. 

king  took  a  listless  pleasure  in  drawing  out  Ma- 
dame de  Maintenon  to  remark  upon  the  merits 
or  defects  of  the  production. 

"  In  truth,  a  weariness  of  existence  was  rap- 
idly growing  upon  Louis  XIY.  He  had  out- 
lived his  loves,  his  griefs,  and  almost  his  ambi- 
tion. All  he  wanted  was  repose.  And  this 
he  found  in  the  society  of  an  accomplished,  ju- 
dicious, and  unassuming  woman,  who,  although 
he  occasionally  transacted  business  in  her  pres- 
ence with  Louvois,  never  presumed  to  proffer 
an  opinion  save  when  he  appealed  to  her  judg- 
ment, and  even  then  tendered  it  with  reluct- 
ance and  reserve."* 

Upon  the  death  of  the  queen  the  dauphi- 
ness was  raised  to  the  first  rank  at  court.  Still 
she  was  gloomy  and  reserved.  No  allurements 
could  draw  her  from  her  retirement.  Madame 
de  Maintenon  was  a  very  decided  Roman  Cath- 
olic, and  was  very  much  influenced  by  the 
king's  confessor,  Pere  la  Chaise,  who  seems  to 
have  been  a  man  of  integrity  and  of  conscien- 
tiousness, though  fanatically  devoted  to  what 
he  deemed  to  be  the  interests  of  the  Church, 
in  former  reigns  the  Protestants  had  endured 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France,  by  Miss  Pai-doa, 
vol.  ii.,p.  339. 


304:  Louis  XIY.  [1598. 

The  Edict  of  Nantes. 

from  the  Catholics  the  most  dreadful  persecu- 
tions. After  scenes  of  woe,  the  recital  of  which 
causes  the  blood  to  curdle  in  one's  veins,  Hen- 
ry IY.,  the  grandfather  of  Louis  XIV.,  feeling 
the  need 'of  the  support  of  the  Protestants  to 
protect  the  kingdom  from  the  perils  by  which 
it  was  surrounded,  and  having  himself  been 
educated  a  Protestant,  granted  the  Protestants 
the  world-renowned  Edict  of  Nantes. 

By  this  edict,  which  took  its  name  ,from  the 
place  in  which  it  was  published,  and  whicli 
was  issued  in  April,  1598,  certain  privileges 
were  granted  to  the  Protestants,  which,  in  that 
dark  age,  were  regarded  as  extraordinarily  lib- 
eral. 

Protestants  were  allowed  liberty  of  con- 
science ;  that  is,  they  were  not  to  be  punished 
for  their  religious  faith.  In  certain  designa- 
ted places  they  were  permitted  to  hold  public 
worship.  The  highest  lords  of  the  Protestant 
faith  could  celebrate  divine  service  in  their 
castles.  Nobles  of  the  second  rank  could  have 
private  worship  provided  but  thirty  persons 
attended.  Protestants  were  declared  to  be  eli- 
gible to  offices  of  state,  their  children  were  to 
be  admitted  to  the  public  schools,  their  sick  to 
the  hospitals,  and  their  poor  to  the  public  char- 


1685.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    305 

The  Catholic  clergy  indignant.  Ravaillac. 

ities.  In  certain  places  they  could  publish 
books ;  they  were  allowed  four  academies  for 
scientific  and  theological  instruction,  and  were 
permitted  to  convoke  synods  for  Church  disci- 
pline. 

The  Catholic  clergy  were  very  indignant  in 
view  of  these  concessions.  Pope  Clement  VIII. 
declared  that  the  ordinance  which  permitted 
liberty  of  conscience  to  every  one  was  the  most 
execrable  which  was  ever  made.* 

There  were  then  seven  hundred  and  sixty 
churches  in  France  of  the  Protestant  commun- 
ion. No  such  church  was  allowed  in  Paris. 
Protestants  from  the  city,  rich  and  poor,  were 
compelled  to  repair,  for  public  worship,  to  the 
little  village  of  Ablon,  fifteen  miles  from  the 
city.  The  Edict  of  Nantes  probably  cost  Hen- 
ry IV.  his  life.  The  assassin  Ravaillac,  who 
plunged  his  dagger  twice  into  the  bosom  of  the 
king,  said,  in  his  examination, 

"  I  killed  the  king  because,  in  making  war 
upon  the  pope,  he  made  war  upon  God,  since 
the  pope  is  God." 

The  Protestants  were  thrown  into  the  ut 
most  consternation  by  the  death  of  Henry  IV. 

*  History  of  the  Protestants  of  France,  by  Professor  G.  de 
Felice,  p.  275. 
1—20 


306  Louis  XIY.  [1622. 

Confirmation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes. 

They  apprehended  the  immediate  repeal  of 
the  edict,  and  a  renewal  of  the  massacre  of  St. 
Bartholomew's  Day.  But  the  regent,  Mary  de 
Medici,  and  the  court  immediately  issued  a  de- 
cree confirming  the  ordinance.  Louis  XIII. 
was  then  a  child  but  eight  and  a  half  years 
of  age.  As  he  came  into  power,  he  was  urged 
by  the  Jesuits  to  exterminate  the  Protestants. 
But  they  were  too  powerful  to  be  wantonly  as- 
sailed. They  held  two  hundred  fortified  places. 
Many  of  the  highest  lords  were  among  their 
leaders.  Their  soldiers  were  renowned  for  val- 
or, and  their  churches  numbered  four  hundred 
thousand  men  capable  of  bearing  arms.  It 
was  not  deemed  safe  to  rouse  such  a  people  to 
the  energies  of  despair.  Still,  during  the  reign 
of  Louis  XIII.,  there  were  many  bloody  con- 
flicts between  the  royal  troops  and  the  Protest- 
ants. 

In  this  religious  war,  the  Protestants,  or  Hu- 
guenots, as  they  were  then  called,  defended 
themselves  so  valiantly,  that  the  king  felt  con- 
strained, in  October,  1622,  to  relinquish  his  at- 
tempt to  subjugate  the  Protestants  by  force  of 
arms,  and  to  confirm  the  Edict  of  Nantes. 
The  sword  was  scarcely  sheathed  ere  it  was 
drawn  again.  All  over  France  the  Catholics 


1662.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    307 

La  Rochelle.  Sufferings  of  the  Huguenots. 

and  Protestants  faced  each  other  upon  fields 
of  blood.  The  battle  raged  for  seven  years 
with  every  conceivable  concomitant  of  cruelty 
and  horror,  The  eyes  of  all  Europe  were  di- 
rected to  the  siege  of  La  Rochelle,  in  1627, 
where  the  Huguenots  made  their  most  decisive 
stand.  All  that  human  nature  could  suffer 
was  endured.  When  two  thirds  of  the  popu- 
lation of  the  city  had  perished,  and  the  streets 
and  dwellings  were  encumbered  with  the  un- 
buried  dead,  and  the  remaining  soldiers,  re- 
duced to  skeletons,  could  no  longer  lift  their 
weapons,  the  city  surrendered  on  the  28th  of 
October,  1628. 

By  this  war  and  the  fall  of  La  Rochelle, 
the  Protestants  were  hopelessly  weakened. 
Though  they  were  deprived  of  many  of  their 
privileges,  and  were  greatly  diminished  in 
numbers  and  influence,  still  the  general  pro- 
visions of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  were  not  re- 
pealed. 

Lr  the  year  1662,  Louis  XIY.,  then  upon  the 
throne,  in  recognition  of  some  support  which 
he  had  received  from  the  Protestants,  issued  a 
decree  in  which  he  said, 

"  Inasmuch  as  our  subjects  of  the  pretended 
Reformed  religion  have  given  us  proofs  of 


Louis  XIV.  [1670. 


Policy  of  Louis.  Influence  of  Madame  de  Main  tenon. 

their  affection  and  fidelity,  be  it  known  that, 
for  these  reasons,  they  shall  be  supported  and 
guarded,  as  in  fact  we  do  support  and  guard 
them,  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  Edict  of 
Nantes." 

The  king  had  even  appointed,  the  year  be- 
fore, two  commissaries,  the  one  a  Catholic,  the 
other  a  Protestant,  to  visit  every  province,  and 
see  that  the  requisitions  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes 
were  faithfully  observed.  This  seemed  very 
fair.  But,  in  appointing  these  commissioners, 
a  Catholic  was  always  appointed  who  was  a 
high  dignitary  of  the  state,  a  man  of  wealth 
and  rank,  distinguished  for  his  devotion  to  the 
interests  of  the  Catholic  Church.  On  the  oth- 
er hand,  the  Protestant  was  always  some  poor 
country  gentleman,  timid  and  irresolute,  and 
often  one  who  had  been  secretly  sold  to  the 
court  to  betray  his  duties. 

The  Protestants  had  hoped  much  from  the 
influence  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  over  the 
king,  as  she  was  the  granddaughter  of  Agrip 
pa  d'Aubigne,  one  of  the  most  illustrious  dt* 
fenders  of  the  Calvinistic  faith,  and  as  she  her 
self  had  been  a  Protestant  until  she  had  at 
tained  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 

But  the  king  was  fanatically  Catholic,  hop- 


1680.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    309 

Religious  zeal  of  the  king.  False-hearted. 

ing,  in  some  measure,  to  atone  for  his  sins  by 
his  supreme  devotion  to  the  interests  of  the 
Church.  Madame  de  Maintenon  found  it  nec- 
essary, in  promotion  of  her  ambitious  plans,  t6 
do  all  in  her  power  to  conceal  her  Protestant 
origin.  She  was  fully  aware  of  the  king's 
great  dislike  to  the  Protestants,  and  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  cordially  co-operating  with  him  in 
these  views.  Still  she  could  not  refrain  from 
manifesting  some  compassion  at  times  for  the 
sufferings  of  the  friends  of  her  earlier  years. 

Louis  XIV.,  while  assuring  the  Protestant 
powers  of  Europe  that  he  would  continue  to 
respect  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  commenced  issu- 
ing a  series  of  ordinances  in  direct  opposition 
to  that  contract.  First  he  excluded  Protest- 
ants from  all  public  offices  whatever.  A  Prot- 
estant could  not  be  employed  as  a  physician, 
lawyer,  apothecary,  bookseller,  printer,  or  even 
as  a  nurse.  This  decree  was  issued  in  1680. 
In  some  portions  of  the  kingdom  the  Protest- 
ants composed  nearly  the  entire  population. 
Here  it  was  impossible  to  enforce  the  atrocious 
decree.  In  other  places  it  led  to  riots  and 
bloodshed. 

This  ordinance  was  followed  by  one  forbid' 
ding  marriages  between  Catholics  and  Protest- 


310  Louis  XIY.  [1680. 

Persecution  of  the  Protestants. 

ants.  Catholic  servants  were  forbidden  to 
serve  in  Protestant  families,  and  Protestant 
servants  could  not  be  employed  by  Catholics. 

Rapidly  blow  followed  blow.  On  the  17th 
of  June,  1680,  the  king  issued  the  following 
ordinance :  "  We  wish  that  our  subjects  of  the 
pretended  Reformed  religion,  both  male  and 
female,  having  attained  the  age  of  seven  years, 
may,  and  it  is  hereby  made  lawful  for  them  to 
embrace  the  Catholic  Apostolic  and  Roman 
religion,  and  that  to  this  effect  they  be  allowed 
to  abjure  the  pretended  Reformed  religion, 
without  their  fathers  and  mothers  and  other 
kinsmen  being  allowed  to  offer  them  the  least 
hinderance,  under  any  pretext  whatever." 

The  effect  of  this  law  was  terrible.  Any 
malignant  person,  even  a  servant,  could  go  into 
a  court  of  justice  and  testify  that  a  certain 
child  had  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  or  kissed 
an  image  of  the  Virgin,  or  had  expressed  a  de- 
sire to  enter  the  Catholic  Church,  and  that 
child  was  immediately  taken  from  its  parents, 
shut  up  in  a  convent,  and  the  parents  were 
compelled  to  pay  the  expenses  of  its  education. 
Even  Madame  de  Maintenon  availed  herself 
of  this  law  in  wresting  from  her  relative,  the 
Marquis  de  Vilette,  his  children. 


1680.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    311 

Severe  measures  to  force  proselytism. 

A  decree  was  then  issued  that  all  Protest- 
ants who  should  become  Catholics  might  de- 
fer the  payment  of  their  debts  for  three  years, 
and  for  two  years  be  exempt  from  taxation,, 
and  from  the  burden  of  having  soldiers  quar- 
tered upon  them.  To  save  the  treasury  from 
loss,  a  double  burden  of  taxation  and  a  double 
quartering  of  soldiers  was  imposed  upon  those 
Protestants  who  refused  to  abjure  their  faith. 

If  any  Protestant  was  sick,  officers  were  ap- 
pointed whose  duty  it  was  to  visit  the  sick-bed, 
and  strive  to  convert  the  sufferer  to  the  Cath- 
olic faith.  Any  physician  who  should  neglect 
to  give  notice  of  such  sickness  was  punished 
by  a  severe  fine.  The  pastors  were  forbidden 
to  make  any  allusions  whatever  in  their  ser- 
mons to  these  decrees  of  the  court.  Follow- 
ing this  decree  came  the  announcement  that 
if  any  convert  from  Catholicism  should  be  re- 
ceived into  a  Protestant  Church,  his  property 
should  be  confiscated,  he  should  be  banished, 
and  the  privilege  of  public  worship  should  no 
longer  be  enjoyed  by  that  Church.  Under  this 
law  several  church  edifices  were  utterly  demol- 
ished. 

One  of  the  severest  measures  adopted  against 
the  Protestants  was  quartering  brutal  and  fe 


312  Louis  XI V.  [1681. 

The  dragonnades.  Moral  suasion  of  the  dragoons. 

rocious  soldiers  in  their  families.  In  March, 
1681,  Louvois  wrote  to  the  governor  of  Poitou 
that  he  intended  to  send  a  regiment  of  cavalry 
into  that  province. 

"  His  majesty,"  he  said,  u  has  learned  with 
much  satisfaction  the  great  number  of  persons 
who  are  becoming  converts  in  your  province. 
He  desires  that  you  continue  to  give  great  care 
to  this  matter.  He  thinks  it  best  that  the  chief 
part  of  the  cavalry  and  officers  should  be  lodged 
in  the  houses  of  the  Protestants.  If,  after  a 
just  distribution,  the  Calvinists  would  have  to 
provide  for  ten  soldiers,  you  can  make  them 
take  twenty." 

The  governor,  Marillac,  lodged  from  four  to 
ten  dragoons  in  the  house  of  every  Protestant. 
The  soldiers  were  directed  not  to  kill  the  peo- 
ple with  whom  they  lodged,  but  to  do  every 
thing  in  their  power  to  constrain  them  to  ab- 
jure Protestantism.  Thus  originated  that  sys- 
tem of  dragonnades  which  has  left  an  indeli- 
ble stain  upon  the  character  of  Louis  XIV., 
and  the  recital  of  which  has  inspired  every 
reader  with  horror. 

"  The  cavalry  attached  crosses  to  the  muz- 
zles of  their  muskets  to  force  the  Protestants 
to  kiss  them.  "When  any  one  resisted,  the,y 


1681.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT,    313 


Brutality  of  the  soldiery.  Enactments  of  intolerance. 

thrust  these  crosses  against  the  face  and  breasts 
of  the  unfortunate  people.  They  spared  chil- 
dren no  more  than  persons  advanced  in  years. 
Without  compassion  for  their  age,  they  fell 
upon  them  with  blows,  and  beat  them  with  tne 
flat  side  of  their  swords  and  the  butt  of  their 
muskets.  They  did  this  so  cruelly  that  some 
were  crippled  for  life."* 

It  does  not  reflect  credit  upon  Madame  de 
Maintenon  that  she  was  eager  to  enrich  her 
friends  from  the  spoils  of  these  persecuted 
Christians.  Her  brother  was  to  receive  a  pres- 
ent of  one  hundred  and  eight  thousand  francs 
($21,600).  This  sum  was  then  three  or  four 
times  as  much  as  the  same  amount  of  money 
now. 

A  law  was  now  passed  prohibiting  the  Prot- 
estants from  leaving  the  kingdom,  and  con- 
demning to  perpetual  imprisonment  in  the  gal- 
leys all  who  should  attempt  to  escape.  France 
was  ransacked  to  find  every  book  written  in 
support  of  Protestantism,  that  it  might  be 
burned.  A  representation  having  been  made 
to  the  king  of  the  sufferings  of  more  than  two 
millions  of  Protestant  Frenchmen,  he  sternly 
replied, 

*  fiistoire  de  1'Edit  de  Nantes,  t.  iv.,  j>.  479. 


314  Louis  XIV.  [1685v 

Zeal  of  the  king.  The  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes. 

"  To  bring  back  all  my  subjects  to  Catholic 
unity,  I  would  readily,  with  one  hand,  cut  ofL 
the  other." 

In  some  places  the  Protestants  were  goaded, 
to  an  appeal  to  arms.  With  the  most  merci- 
less butchery  they  were  cut  down,  their  houses- 
razed,  while  some  were  put  to  death  by  lin- 
gering torture.  In  September,  1685,  Louvois- 
wrote, 

"  Sixty  thousand  conversions  have  taken 
place  in  the  district  of  Bordeaux,  and  twenty 
thousand  in  that  of  Montauban.  The  rapidity 
with  which  they  go  on  is  such  that,  before  the 
end  of  the  month,  there  will  not  remain  ten 
thousand  Protestants  in  all  the  district  of  Bor- 
deaux, where  there  were  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  the  15th  of  last  month." 

The  Duke  of  Noailles  wrote  to  Louvois, 
"  The  number  of  Protestants  in  the  district  of 
Nismes  is  about  one  hundred  and  forty  thou- 
sand. I  believe  that  at  the  end  of  the  month 
there  will  be  none  left." 

On  the  18th  of  October,  1685,  the  king,  ac- 
ceding to  the  wishes  of  his  confessor  and  other 
high  dignitaries  of  the  Church,  signed  the  Rev- 
ocation of  the  Edict  of  Nantes. 

Li  the  preamble  to  this  fatal  act,  it  was  stateci 


lt)85.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    315 

Severe  enactments  against  the  Protestants. 

"We  see  now,  with  the  just  acknowledgment 
we  owe  to  God,  that  our  measures  have  secured 
the  end  -which  we  ourselves  proposed,  since  the 
better  and  greater  part  of  our  subjects  of  the 
pretended  Reformed  religion  have  embraced 
the  Catholic  faith,  and  the  maintenance  of  the 
Edict  of  Nantes  remains  therefore  superfluous." 

In  this  act  of  revocation  it  was  declared  thai 
the  exercise  of  the  Protestant  worship  should 
nowhere  be  tolerated  in  the  realm  of  France. 
All  Protestant  pastors  were  ordered  to  leave 
the  kingdom  within  fifteen  days,  under  pain 
of  being  sent  to  the  galleys.  Those  Protestant 
ministers  who  would  abjure  their  faith  and  re- 
turn to  Catholicism  were  promised  a  salary 
one  third  more  than  they  had  previously  en- 
joyed. Parents  were  forbidden  to  instruct 
their  children  in  the  Protestant  religion.  Ev- 
•ery  child  in  the  kingdom  was  to  be  baptized 
and  educated  by  a  Catholic  priest.  All  Prot- 
estants who  had  left  France  were  ordered  to  re- 
turn within  four  months,  under  pen'alty  of  the 
confiscation  of  their  possessions.  Any  Prot- 
estant layman,  man  or  woman,  who  should  at- 
tempt to  emigrate,  incurred  the  penalty  of  im- 
prisonment for  life. 

This  infamous  ordinance  caused  an  amount 


316  Louis  XIV.  [1685. 

Plight  of  the  Protestants.  Numbers  of  the  emigrants. 

of  misery  which  can  never  be  gauged,  and  in- 
flicted upon  the  prosperity  of  France  the  most 
terrible  blow  it  had  ever  received.  Hundreds 
of  thousands  persevered  in  their  faith,  notwith- 
standing all  the  menaces  of  poverty,  of  the  dun- 
geon, and  of  utter  temporal  ruin.  Only  one 
year  after  the  revocation,  Marshal  Vauban 
wrote, 

"  France  has  lost  one  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants, sixty  millions  of  coined  money,  nine 
thousand  sailors,  twelve  thousand  disciplined 
soldiers,  six  hundred  officers,  and  her  most  nour- 
ishing manufactures." 

From  this  hour  the  fortunes  of  Louis  XIV. 
began  manifestly  to  decline.  The  Protestant 
population  of  France  at  that  time  was  between 
two  and  three  millions.  The  edict  of  revoca- 
tion was  enforced  with  the  utmost  severity. 
Many  noble  -  hearted  Catholics  sympathized 
with  the  Protestants  in  their  dreadful  suffer- 
ings, and  aided  them  to  escape.  The  tide  of 
emigration  flowed  steadily  from  all  the  prov- 
inces. The  arrival  of  the  pastors  and  their 
flocks  upon  foreign  soil  created  an  indescrib- 
able sensation.  From  all  the  courts  in  Prot- 
estant Christendom  a  cry  of  indignation  rose 
against  such  cruelty.  Though  royal  guards 


1680.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.     317 

Scenes  of  suffering.  Louis  alarmed. 

were  posted  at  the  gates  of  the  towns,  on  the 
bridges,  at  the  fords  of  the  rivers,  and  upon  all 
the  by-ways  which  led  to  the  frontiers,  and 
though  many  thousands  were  arrested,  still 
many  thousands  escaped.  Some  heroic  bands 
fought  their  way  to  the  frontiers  with  drawn 
swords.  Some  obtained  passports  from  kind- 
hearted  Catholic  governors.  Some  bribed  their 
guards.  Some  traveled  by  night,  from  cavern 
to  cavern,  in  the  garb  of  merchants,  pilgrims, 
venders  of  rosaries  and  chaplets,  servants,  men- 
dicants. 

Thousands  perished  of  cold,  hunger,  and  ex- 
haustion. Thousands  were  shot  by  the  sol- 
diers. Thousands  were  seized  and  condemned 
to  the  dungeon  or  the  galleys.  The  galleys  of 
Marseilles  were  crowded  with  these  victims  of 
fanatical  despotism.  Among  them  were  many 
of  the  most  illustrious  men  in  France,  magis- 
trates, nobles,  scholars  of  the  highest  name  and 
note. 

The  agitation  and  emigration  were  so  im» 
mense  that  Louis  XIY.  became  alarmed.  Prot 
estant  England,  Switzerland,  Holland,  Prussia, 
Denmark,  Sweden,  hospitably  received  the  suf- 
ferers and  contributed  generously  to  the  sup- 
ply of  their  wants.  "  Charity,"  it  is  said, 


318  Louis  XIVc  [1680. 

Historical  accounts  of  the  emigration.  Multiplied  outrages. 

"draws  from  an  exhaustless  fountain.  The 
more  it  gives  the  more  it  has  to  give." 

It  is  now  not  possible  to  estimate  the  precise 
number  who  emigrated.  Voltaire  says  that 
nearly  fifty  thousand  families  left  the  king- 
dom, and  that  they  were  followed  by  a  great 
many  others.  One  of  the  Protestant  pastors, 
Antoine  Court,  placed  the  number  as  high  as 
eight  hundred  thousand.  A  Catholic  writer, 
inimical  to  the  Protestants,  after  carefully  con- 
sulting the  records,  states  the  emigration  at  two 
hundred  and  thirty  thousand  souls.  Of  these, 
1580  were  pastors,  2300  elders,  and  15.,000  no- 
bles. It  is  also  equally  difficult  to  estimate 
the  numbers  who  perished  in  the  attempt  to 
escape.  M.  de  Sismondi  thinks  that  as  many 
died  as  emigrated.  He  places  the  number  at 
between  three  and  four  hundred  thousand. 

As  we  have  mentioned,  the  Protestants  were 
compelled  to  place  their  children  in  Catholic 
schools,  to  be  taught  the  Catechism  by  the 
priests.  A  new  ordinance  was  soon  issued, 
which  required  that  the  children,  between  five 
and  sixteen,  of  all  suspected  of  Protestantism, 
should  be  taken  from  their  parents  and  placed 
in  Catholic  families.  A  general  search  was 
made  throughout  the  kingdom  for  all  books 


1685.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    319 

Reactions.  Secret  assemblies.  Rage  of  the  Jesuits. 

which  could  be  deemed  favorable  to  the  Prot- 
estant faith.  These  were  destroyed  to  the  last 
copy.  Thus  perished  many  very  valuable 
works.  "  The  Bible  itself,  the  Bible  above  all, 
was  confiscated  and  burned  with  persevering 
animosity."* 

But  there  is  no  power  of  persecution  which 
<3an  utterly  crush  out  two  or  three  millions  of 
people.  There  were  occasional  reactions. 
Louis  XIV.  himself  became,  at  times,  appalled 
by  the  atrocities  his  dragoons  were  perpetra- 
ting, and  he  commanded  more  moderation. 
In  some  of  the  provinces  where  the  Protest- 
ants had  been  greatly  in  the  majority,  the  king 
found  it  very  difficult  to  enforce  his  despotic 
and  sanguinary  code.  The  persecuted  people 
,vho  could  not  fly  from  the  kingdom,  some 
having  given  a  compulsory  and  nominal  assent 
to  Catholicism,  held  secret  assemblies  in  for- 
ests, on  mountain  summits,  and  in  wild  ravines. 
Some  of  the  pastors  ventured  to  return  to 
France,  and  to  assist  in  these  scenes  of  peril- 
ous worship. 

"  On  hearing  this,  the  king,  his  ministers, 
and  the  Jesuits  were  transported  with  uncon- 
trollable rage.  Sentence  of  death  was  pro- 
*  Hist,  of  the  Protestants  of  France,  by  Prof.  G.  De  Felica 


320  Louis  XIV.  [1686. 

New  measures  of  the  court 

nounced  in  the  month  of  July,  1686,  against 
•>  the  pastors  who  had  returned  to  France. 
Those  who  lent  them  an  asylum,  or  any  assist- 
ance whatever,  were  condemned  to  the  galleys 
for  life.  A  reward  of  five  thousand  five  hun- 
dred livres  was  promised  to  any  one  who  seized 
or  secured  the  seizure  of  a  minister.  The  sen- 
tence of  death  was  pronounced  against  all  who 
should  be  taken  in  any  of  these  religious  as- 
semblies."* 

Soldiers  were  sent  in  all  directions  to  hunt 
the  Protestants.  "  It  was,"  writes  Voltaire,  "  a 
chase  in  a  grand  cover."  If  the  voice  of  pray- 
er or  of  a  psalm  were  heard  in  any  wild  re* 
treat,  the  soldiers  opened  fire  upon  the  assem- 
bly of  men,  women,  and  children,  and  hewed 
them  down  without  mercy  with  their  blood- 
stained swords.  In  several  of  these  encoun- 
ters, three  or  four  hundred  men,  women,  and 
young  children  were  left  dead  and  unburied 
upon  the  spot. 

If  any  sick  persons,  apparently  near  death, 
refused  to  receive  the  sacraments  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church  from  the  hands  of  a  Catholic 
priest,  should  they  recover,  they  were  punished 
with  confiscation  of  property  and  consignment 
*  M.  G.  De  Felice. 


16S6.J  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    321 

Remonstrances  of  honorable  Catholics. 

to  the  galleys  for  life.  If  they  did  not  recov- 
er, their  bodies  were  refused  respectful  burial, 
and  were  dragged  on  a  hurdle  and  thrown  into 
a  ditch,  to  be  devoured  by  carrion  crows. 

Many  honorable  Catholics  cried  out  with 
horror  against  these  enormities.  Ail  humane 
hearts  revolted  against  such  cruelty.  The 
voice  of  indignant  remonstrance  rose  from  ev- 
ery Protestant  nation.  The  French  court  be- 
came embarrassed.  Two  millions  of  people 
could  not  be  put  to  death.  The  prisons  were 
filled  to  suffocation.  The  galleys  were  crowd- 
ed, and  could  receive  no  more.  Many  were 
transported  to  America. 

The  Jansenists  remonstrated.  The  good 
Catholic  bishops  of  Grenoble  and  St.  Poins 
boldly  addressed  the  curates  of  their  dioceses, 
directing  them  not  to  force  communion  upon 
the  Protestants,  and  forbidding  all  violence. 
Many  pious  curates  refused  to  act  the  part  of 
accusers,  or  to  torment  the  dying  with  their 
importunities.  But  the  Jesuits  and  the  great 
mass  of  the  clergy  urged  on  the  persecution. 

Madame    de    Maintenon    became    greatly 

troubled  by  these  atrocities,  against  which  she 

did  not  dare  to  remonstrate.     Louis  XIY.  was 

somewhat  alarmed  by  the  outcry  which  these 

1—21 


322  Louis  XIV.  [1662. 

Intrigues  of  the  king.  Madame  de  Montespan  to  be  removed. 

measures  aroused  from  Protestant  Europe,  but 
his  pride  revolted  against  making  the  admis- 
sion, before  his  subjects  and  foreign  courts, 
that  he  could  have  been  guilty  of  a  mistake. 
He  could  not  endure  the  thought  of  humbling 
himself  by  a  retraction,  thus  confessing  that 
he  had  failed  in  an  enterprise  upon  which  he 
had  entered  with  such  determination.  Thus 
influenced,  the  king,  on  the  13th  of  April,  1662, 
issued  a  decree  solemnly  confirming  the  revo- 
cation of  the  Edict  of  Nantes.  "  Not  one  law 
of  torture  and  blood  was  abolished." 

The  king,  meanwhile,  urged  by  his  growing 
passion  for  Madame  de  Maintenon,  determined 
to  remove  from  court  Madame  de  Montespan, 
whom  he  had  come  to  thoroughly  dislike.  But 
he  had  not  the  courage  to  announce  his  deter- 
mination in  person.  He  therefore  commission- 
ed Madame  de  Maintenon  to  make  the  painful 
communication.  She,  shrinking  from  so  un- 
welcome a  task,  persuaded  the  Marquis  de  Vi- 
vonne,  brother  of  the  marchioness,  to  break  the 
tidings  to  his  sister.  He  invited  her  to  take  a 
ride  with  him  in  his  carriage,  gradually  intro- 
duced the  subject,  and  at  last  plainly  informed 
her  that  she  must  either,  of  her  own  accord, 
immediately  and  forever  retire  from  Versailles, 


1685.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    323 

Bauishmeut  of  Madame  de  Moulespan. 

or  submit  to  the  indignity  of  being  arrested  by 
the  police  and  removed  by  them. 

Madame  de  Montespan  was  in  a  fearful  rage. 
Though  fully  aware  of  her  waning  power  over 
the  king,  the  menace  of  arrest  and  banishment 
was  an  indignity  the  thought  of  which  had 
never  entered  her  mind.  But  the  calm  firm- 
ness of  her  brother  soon  convinced  her  of  the 
impotence  of  all  exhibitions  of  indignation. 
The  splendor -loving  marchioness  was,  as  we 
have  mentioned  already,  wealthy.  She  was, 
however,  informed  that  the  king  had  decided 
to  settle  upon  her  an  annual  pension  of  six  hun- 
dred thousand  livres.  When  we  consider  the 
comparative  value  of  money  then  and  now,  it 
is  estimated  that  this  amount  was  equivalent 
to  about  four  hundred  and  eighty  thousand 
dollars  at  the  present  day. 

"  Madame  de  Montespan,"  writes  Miss  Par- 
doe,  "  buried  her  face  in  her  hands,  and  re- 
mained for  a  considerable  time  lost  in  thought. 
When,  at  length,  she  looked  up,  her  lips  were 
pale  and  her  voice  trembled.  She  had  not  shed 
a  tear,  but  her  breast  heaved,  and  she  had  evi- 
dently come  to  a  decision.  Folding  her  shawl 
about  her,  she  requested  the  marquis  immedi- 
ately to  drive  her  to  Versailles,  it  being  neces 


324 


Louis  XIV. 


[1685. 


Parterre  of  Versailles. 


A  successful  mission. 


sary,  as  she  asserted,  that  she  should  collect  her 
money,  her  jewels,  and  her  papers,  after  which 
ehe  declared  that  she  was  ready,  for  the  sake 
of  her  family,  to  follow  his  advice." 


PARTERRE   OF   VERSAILLES. 


They  returned  to  the  palace.  Madame  de 
Maintenon  hastened  to  her  apartments.  The 
Marquis  de  Vivonne  informed  her  of  the  suc- 
cess of  his  mission,  and  she  communicated  the 
intelligence  to  the  king. 

The  marchioness  had  been  in  her  apartments 
but  about  twenty  minutes,  when,  to  her  sur- 
prise, the  door  opened,  and  the  king  entered 
unannounced.  The  marchioness,  with  her  own 
graphic  pen,  has  given  an  account  of  the  sin 


1685.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    325 

Egotism  and  heartlessness  of  the  king. 

gular  and  characteristic  interview  which  en- 
sued. 

The  king  came  forward  smiling  very  com- 
placently at  the  thought  that  with  so  little  em- 
barrassment he  was  to  get  rid  of  a  companion 
whose  presence  had  become  an  annoyance  to 
him — that,  he  could  discard  her  as  easily  as  he 
could  lay  aside  a  pair  of  soiled  gloves.  He 
congratulated  the  marchioness  upon  the  grcjst 
good  sense  she  had  shown  in  thus  readily  sun- 
dering ties  which,  after  existing  for  eighteen 
years,  had  become  embarrassing.  He  spoke  of 
their  children  as  his  property,  and  assured  her 
that  he  should  do  all  in  his  power  to  promote 
their  welfare ;  that  he  had  already,  by  act  of 
Parliament,  conferred  upon  them  statute  legiti- 
macy, and  had  thus  effaced  the  dishonor  of 
their  birth.  He  apologized  for  not  having  her 
name  mentioned  in  Parliament  as  their  moth- 
er, this  being  impracticable,  since  she  was  the 
wife  of  another  man. 

With  smiling  complacency,  as  if  he  were 
communicating  very  gratifying  intelligence,  he 
informed  this  crushed  and  discarded  mother 
that,  since  her  children  were  now  princes,  they 
would,  of  course,  reside  at  court,  and  that  she, 
their  dishonored  mother,  might  occasionallv  be 

'  O  v 


326  Louis  XIY.  [1685. 

Singular  interview. 

permitted  to  visit  them — that  he  would  issue 
an  order  to  that  effect.  And,  finally,  he  coolly 
advised  her  to  write  to  her  husband,  whom  she 
had  abandoned  eighteen  years  ago,  soliciting  a 
renewal  of  their  relationship,  with  the  assur- 
ance that  it  was  her  intention  to  return  to  the 
paths  of  virtue. 

Almost  gasping  with  indignation,  the  haugh- 
ty marchioness  succeeded  in  restraining  herself 
until  the  king  had  finished  his  harangue.  She 
then  burst  forth  in  a  reply  which  astonished 
and  even  alarmed  the  king. 

"  I  am  amazed,"  said  she,  "  at  the  indiffer- 
ence with  which  a  monarch,  who  boasts  of  his 
magnanimity,  can  throw  from  hirn  a  woman 
who  has  sacrificed  every  thing  to  his  pleasure. 
For  two  years  your  majesty,  in  devotion  to 
others,  has  been  estranged  from  me,  and  yet 
never  have  I  publicly  offered  one  word  of  ex- 
postulation. Why  is  it,  then,  that  I  am  now, 
after  silently  submitting  for  two  years  to  this 
estrangement,  to  be  ignominiously  banished 
from  the  court?  Still,  my  position  here  has 
become  so  hateful,  through  the  perfidy  and 
treachery  of  those  by  whom  I  am  compelled  to 
associate,  that  I  will  willingly  consent  never 
again  to  approach  the  person  of  the  king  upon 


1686.]  REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.    327 

The  king  defends  Madame  de  Maintenon's  character. 

condition  that  the  odious  woman  who  has  sup- 
planted me*  shall  also  be  exiled." 

The  proud  monarch  was  enraged.  Pale 
with  anger,  he  replied,  "  The  kings  of  Europe 
have  never  yet  ventured  to  dictate  laws  in  my 
palace,  nor  shall  you,  madame,  subject  me  to 
yours.  The  lady  whom  I  have  too  long  suf- 
fered you  to  offend  is  as  nobly  born  as  your- 
self. If  you  were  instrumental  in  opening  the- 
gates  of  the  palace  to  her,  you  thus  introduced 
there  gentleness,  talent,  and  virtue.  This  lady^ 
whom  you  have  upon  every  occasion  slandered,, 
has  lost  no  opportunity  to  excuse  and  justify 
you.  She  will  remain  near  the  court  which 
her  fathers  defended,  and  which  her  wise 
councils  now  strengthen.  In  seeking  to  re- 
move you  from  the  court,  where  your  presence 
and  pretensions  have  long  since  been  mis- 
placed, I  wished  to  spare  you  the  evidence  of 
an  event  calculated  to  irritate  your  already  ex- 
asperated nature.  But  stay  you  here,  ma- 
dame,"  he  added,  sarcastically,  "  stay  you  herey 
since  you  love  great  catastrophes  and  are 
amused  by  them.  Day  after  to-morrow  you 
will  be  more  than  ever  a  supernumerary  in 
the  palace." 

*  Madame  de  Main  tenon. 


328  Louis  XIV.  [1686. 

Scene  of  frenzy  and  despair. 

This  heartless  announcement,  that  Madame 
de  Maintenon  was  to  take  the  place  of  Ma- 
dame de  Moutespan  in  the  affections  of  the 
king,  and  probably  as  his  wedded  wife,  pierced, 
as  with  a  dagger's  point,  the  heart  of  the  dis- 
carded favorite.  She  fell  senseless  to  the  floor. 
The  king,  without  the  slightest  exhibition  of 
sympathy,  looked  on  impatiently,  while  her 
women,  who  were  immediately  summoned,  en- 
deavored to  restore  consciousness.  As  the  un- 
happy marchioness  revived,  the  first  words 
which  fell  upon  her  ears  were  from  the  king, 
as  he  said, 

"  All  this  wearies  me  beyond  endurance 
She  must  leave  the  palace  this  very  day." 

In  a  frenzy  of  rage  and  despair,  the  mar- 
chioness seized  a  dessert-knife  which  chanced 
to  lay  upon  the  table,  and,  springing  from  the 
arms  of  her  attendants,  rushed  upon  her  young- 
est child,  the  little  Count  de  Toulouse,  whom 
the  king  held  by  the  hand,  and  from  whom 
she  was  to  be  cruelly  severed,  and  endeavored 
to  plunge  the  knife  into  his  bosom,  exclaiming, 

"  Yes,  I  will  leave  this  palace,  but  first — " 

At  that  moment,  before  the*  sentence  was 
finished,  the  door  opened,  and  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  who  had  probably  anticipated  some 


1686.]  KEVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT.   32 

Madame  de  Maintenon  and  Madame  de  Montespan. 

tragic  scene,  sprang  upon  the  wretched  wom- 
an, seizing  the  knife  with  one  hand,  and  with 
the  other  thrusting  the  child  away.  The  ma- 
niacal marchioness  was  seized  by  her  attend- 
ants. The  king  tottered  to  the  chimney-piece, 
buried  his  face  in  his  hands,  and,  from  a  com- 
plicity of  emotions  not  easily  disentangled, 
wept  convulsively. 

Madame  de  Maintenon's  hand  was  cut  by 
the  knife.  As  she  was  binding  up  the  bleed- 
ing wound  with  her  handkerchief,  the  half -de- 
lirious marchioness  said  to  her,  referring  to  the 
fact  that  the  king  had  at  first  been  unwilling 
to  receive  her  as  the  guardian  of  the  children, 

"  Ah !  madame,  had  I  believed  what  the  king 
told  me  fourteen  years  ago,  my  life  would  not 
have  been  in  your  power  to-day." 

Madame  de  Maintenon,  her  eyes  suffused 
with  tears,  looked  sadly  upon  her,  then  taking 
her  hand,  pressed  it  feelingly,  and,  without  ut- 
tering a  word,  left  the  apartment.  The  king 
followed  her.  The  heart-broken  marchioness, 
in  most  imploring  tones,  entreated  the  king 
not  thus  to  leave  her.  He  paid  no  heed  to  her 
supplications.  The  agitation  of  this  scene 
threw  Madame  de  Montespan  into  such  a 
burning  fever  that  for  several  days  she  could 
not  be  removed  from  her  bed  of  pain  and  woe. 


330  Louis  XIV.  [1685. 

Temptation  resisted.  Rumors  of  marriage* 


CHAPTER  X. 
THE  SECRET  MARRIAGE. 

THE  king  exerted  all  his  powers  of  persua- 
sion to  induce  Madame  de  Maintenon  to 
enter  into  the  same  relations  with  him  which 
Madame  de  Montespan  had  occupied.  At  last 
she  declared,  in  reply  to  some  passionate  re- 
proaches on  his  part,  that  she  should  be  under 
the  necessity  of  withdrawing  from  the  court 
and  retiring  to  the  cloister,  rather  than  con- 
tinue to  expose  herself  to  a  temptation  which 
was  destroying  her  peace  of  mind  and  under- 
mining her  health.  Under  these  circumstances- 
the  king  had  been  led  to  think  of  a  private 
marriage.  At  first  his  pride  revolted  from  the- 
thought.  But  in  no  other  way  could  he  secure 
Madame  de  Maintenon. 

Rumors  of  the  approaching  marriage  were- 
circulated  through  the  court.  The  dauphin 
expostulated  with  his  father  most  earnestly 
against  it,  and  succeeded  in  inducing  the  king^ 
to  consult  the  Abbe*  Fenelon  and  Louvois. 
They  both  protested  against  the  measure  as 


1686.]    THE  SECRET  MAEKIAGE.         331 

Preparations  for  the  marriage.  The  archbishop  summoned. 

•compromising  the  dignity  of  the  monarch  and 
the  interests  of  the  nation.  JBossuet,  however, 
urged  the  marriage.  Boldly  he  warned  the 
king  against  entering  again  into  such  connec- 
tions as  those  which  had  hitherto  sullied  his 
life,  wounded  his  reputation,  and  endangered 
iiis  eternal  welfare. 

Pure  as  Madame  de  Maintenon  was,  the  de- 
motion of  the  king  to  her  was  so  marked  that 
her  reputation  began  to  suffer.  She  felt  the 
unjust  imputations  cast  upon  her  very  keenly. 
The  king  at  last  resolved  that  it  should  be  so 
no  longer.  Having  come  to  a  decision,  he  act- 
•ed  very  promptly.  It  was  a  cold  night  in  Jan- 
uary, 1686.  A  smothering  snow-storm  swept 
the  streets  of  Paris.  At  half  past  ten  o'clock 
•a  court  messenger  entered  the  archiepiscopal 
palace  with  a  sealed  packet,  requesting  the 
archbishop  to  repair  immediately  to  Versailles 
to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony.  The  great 
clock  of  the  Cathedral  was  tolling  the  hour  of 
-eleven  as  the  prelate  entered  his  carriage  in  the 
darkness  and  the  storm.  At  half  past  twelve 
he  reached  the  gate  of  the  chateau.  Here  Bon- 
terns,  the  first  valet  de  chambre  of  the  king, 
conducted  the  archbishop  to  the  private  closet 
of  his  majesty.  Madame  de  Maintenon  was 


332  Louis  XIV.  [1686. 

An  extraordinary  scene. 

there  in  full  dress.  Louis  XIV.  stood  by  her 
side.  In  the  same  apartment  were  the  Mar- 
quis de  Montechevreuil  and  the  king's  confess- 
or, Pere  la  Chaise. 

Miss  Pardoe  thus  describes  the  scene  that 
ensued : 

"As  the  eye  of  the  king  rested  upon  the 
archbishop,  he  exclaimed, '  Let  us  go.'  Tak- 
ing the  hand  of  the  lady,  he  led  her  forward 
through  the  long  suite  of  rooms,  followed  by 
the  other  actors  in  this  extraordinary  scene, 
who  moved  on  in  profound  silence,  thrown  for 
an  instant  into  broad  light  by  the  torch  carried 
by  Bontems,  and  then  suddenly  lost  in  the  deep 
darkness  beyond  its  influence.  ^Nothing  was 
to  be  heard  as  the  bridal  party  proceeded  save 
the  muffled  sound  of  their  footsteps,  deadened 
by  the  costly  carpets  over  which  they  trod.  But 
it  was  remarked  that  as  the  light  flashed  for 
an  instant  across  the  portraits  of  his  family 
which  clothed  the  walls,  Louis  XIV.  glanced 
eagerly  and  somewhat  nervously  upon  them, 
as  though  he  dreaded  the  rebuke  of  some  stern 
eye  or  haughty  lip  for  the  weakness  of  which 
he  was  about  to  become  guilty." 

The  marriage  ceremony  was  performed  by 
the  Archbishop  of  Paris.  There  were  eight 


1686.]    THE  SECRET  MARRIAGE.    *    333 

Ceremonies.  The  Widow  Scarron.  Etiquette. 

persons  present  as  witnesses,  most  of  them  of 
high  distinction.  The  king  was  in  the  forty- 
eighth  year  of  his  age,  and  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  in  her  fifty-second.  The  marriage  was 
celebrated  with  all  the  established  ceremonies 
of  the  Church,  the  solemnization  of  the  mass, 
the  exchange  of  marriage  rings,  and  the  pro- 
nouncing of  the  benediction  by  the  archbishop. 
A  magnificent  suite  of  apartments  was  pre- 
pared for  Madame  de  Maintenon  at  Versailles. 
She  retained  her  own  liveries,  but  thencefor- 
ward appeared  in  public  only  in  the  carriage 
of  the  king.  Though  by  her  own  private  at- 
tendants she  was  addressed  as  "your  majesty," 
she  was  never  publicly  recognized  as  the  queen. 
'The  king  addressed  her  simply  as  Madame. 

Though  the  morning  after  the  nuptials  the 
astounding  rumor  spread  through  the  court 
that  the  king  had  actually  married  the  Widow 
Scarron,  still  there  were  no  positive  vouchers 
found  for  the  fact.  As  she  was  never  recog- 
nized as  the  queen,  for  a  long  time  many  doubts 
rested  upon  the  reality  of  the  marriage. 

It  was  a  matter  of  necessity  that  Madame  de 
Montespan  should  call  upon  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon,  and  pay  her  respects  to  her  as  the  real 
though  unrecognized  wife  of  the  monarch. 


834  Louis  XIV.  [1680. 

Humiliation  of  Madame  de  Montespan. 

Dressed  in  her  richest  robes,  and  glittering  with 
jewels,  the  discarded  favorite  entered  the  apart- 
ment of  her  hated  rival.  The  king  was  seated 
by  her  side.  His  majesty  rose,  bowed  formal- 
ly, and  took  his  seat.  Madame  de  Maintenon 
did  not  rise,  but,  with  a  slight  flush  upon  her 
cheek,  motioned  to  Madame  de  Montespan  to- 
take  a  seat  upon  a  tabouret  which  stood  near 
by.  The  king  scarcely  noticed  her.  Madame 
de  Maintenon  addressed  her  in  a  few  words  of 
condescension.  The  unhappy  visitor,  after  a. 
short  struggle  to  regain  her  composure,  rose 
from  the  humble  stool  upon  which  she  had 
been  seated,  and,  repeating  the  stately  rever- 
ences which  etiquette  required,  withdrew  from, 
the  room. 

With  crushed  heart  she  retired  to  her  apart- 
ment, and,  weeping  bitterly,  threw  herself  upon 
a  sofa.  She  soon  sent  for  her  son,  the  Duke 
du  Maine,  hoping  to  hear,  from  his  lips  at  least,, 
words  of  sympathy.  But  the  duke,  who  had 
reproached  his  mother  with  his  dishonorable 
birth,  and  who,  by  a  royal  decree,  had  been  rec- 
ognized as  a  prince,  was  not  at  all  disposed  to 
cultivate  intimate  relations  with  that  mother,, 
now  that  the  memory  of  disgrace  only  would 
be  perpetuated  by  that  recognition.  Without 


1686.]    THE  SECRET  MARRIAGE.         33a 


Routine  of  a  day  at  Versailles. 


the  exhibition  of  the  slightest  emotion,  the 
duke  addressed  his  mother  in  a  few  cold,  form' 
al  words,  and  left  her.  The  marchioness  sum- 
moned her  carriage,  and  left  Versailles  and  the 
-court  forever.  As  she  cast  a  last  look  upon 
the  palace,  she  saw  the  king  standing  at  the 
balcony  of  a  window  watching  her  departure. 

The  reader  will  be  interested  in  learning  the 
routine  of  a  day  as  passed  by  this  most  sumpt- 
uous of  earthly  kings  amidst  the  splendors  of 
Versailles.  At  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning 
the  under  valets  carefully  entered  the  bed- 
chamber, opened  the  shutters,  replenished  the 
wood  fire,  if  cold,  and  removed  the  ample  re- 
freshments which  were  always  placed  by  the 
royal  bedside  in  case  the  king  should  need  food 
during  the  night. 

The  first  valet  then  entered,  carefully  dress- 
>ed,  and  took  his  stand  respectfully  by  the  side 
of  the  bed-curtains.  At  half  past  eight  pre- 
cisely he  drew  the  curtains  and  awoke  the 
king,  assuming  always  that  he  was  asleep.  The 
valet  then  immediately  retired  to  an  adjoining 
room,  where  several  distinguished  members  of 
the  court  were  in  waiting,  and  communicated 
to  them  the  important  intelligence  "Uiat  the 
king  no  longer  slept. 


336  Louis  XIV.  [1686. 

Routine  of  a  day  at  Versailles. 

The  folding  doors  were  thrown  open,  and 
the  dauphin,  attended  by  his  two  sons,  the  eld- 
est of  whom  was  entitled  Monsieur,  and  the 
youngest  the  Duke  of  Chartres,  entered,  and 
inquired  of  the  king  how  he  had  passed  the 
night.  They  were  immediately  followed  by 
the  Duke  du  Maine  and  the  Count  de  Tou- 
louse, sons  of  Madame  de  Montespan,  and  by 
the  first  lord  of  the  bedchamber  and  the  grand 
master  of  the  robes.  They  were  succeeded  by 
the  first  valet  of  the  wardrobe,  and  by  several 
officers,  each  bearing  a  portion  of  the  royal 
vestments.  The  two  medical  attendants  of  the 
king,  the  physician  and  surgeon,  also  entered 
at  the  same  time. 

The  king,  still  remaining  pillowed  in  his  gor- 
geous bed,  held  out  his  hands,  and  his  first  val- 
et de  chambre  poured  upon  them  a  few  drops 
of  spirits  of  wine,  holding  beneath  them  a  basin 
of  silver.  The  first  lord  of  the  bedchamber 
presented  a  vase  of  holy  water,  with  which  the 
king  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  upon  his  brow 
and  breast.  His  majesty  then  repeated  a  short 
prayer.  A  collection  of  wigs  was  presented  to 
him.  He  selected  the  one  which  he  wished  to 
wear.  As  the  king  rose  from  his  couch,  the 
first  lord  of  the  bedchamber  drew  upon  him 


1686.]     THE  SECRET  MARRIAGE.         337 

Routine  of  a  day  at  Versailles.  The  First  Entrle* 

his  dressing-gown,  which  was  always  a  richly 
embroidered  and  costly  robe. 

The  king  then  sat  down,  and,  holding  out 
one  sacred  foot  after  the  other,  his  valet,  Bon- 
tems,  drew  on  his  stockings  and  his  slippers  of 
embroidered  velvet.  The  monarch  conde- 
scended to  place  upon  his  head,  witli  his  own 
hand,  the  wig  which  he  had  selected.  Again 
the  devout  monarch  crossed  himself  with  holy 
water,  and,  emerging  from  the  balustrade 
which  inclosed  the  bed,  seated  himself  in  a 
large  arm-cha?'r.  He  was  now  prepared  for 
what  was  called  The  First  Entree. 

The  chief  lord  of  the  bedchamber,  with  a 
loud  voice,  announced  The  First  Entree.  A 
number  of  courtiers,  who  were  peculiarly  fa- 
vored, were  then  admitted  to  the  distinguished 
honor  of  seeing  his  majesty  washed  and  shaved. 
The  barber  of  the  king  removed  his  beard  and 
gently  washed  his  face  with  a  sponge  saturated 
with  spirits  of  wine  and  water.  The  king 
himself  wiped  his  face  with  a  soft  towel,  while 
Bontems  held  the  glass  before  him. 

And  now  the  master  of  the  robes  approach- 
ed to  dress  the  king.  Those  who  had  been 
present  at  what  was  called  the  petit  lever  re- 
tired. A  new  set  of  dignitaries,  of  higher 

1—22 


S38  Louis  XIV.  [1686. 

The  ceremony  of  dressing.  The  Grand  Entrie. 

name  and  note,  crowded  the  anteroom  to  en- 
joy the  signal  honor  of  being  present  at  tfoe 
Grand  Entree,  that  is,  of  witnessing  the  sub- 
lime ceremony  of  seeing  shirt,  trowsers,  and 
frock  placed  upon  his  sacred  majesty. 

Three  of  the  highest  officers  of  the  court 
stood  at  the  door,  attended  by  several  valets  and 
door-keepers  of  the  cabinet.  Admission  to  the 
Grand  Entree  was  considered  so  great  an  honor 
that  even  princes  sought  it,  and  often  in  vain. 

As  each  individual  presented  himself,  his 
name  was  whispered  to  the  first  lord  of  the 
oedchamber,  who  repeated  it  to  the  king. 
When  the  monarch  made  no  reply  the  visitor 
was  admitted,  and  the  duke  walked  back  to 
his  station  near 'the  fireplace,  where  he  mar- 
shaled the  new-comers  to  their  several  places 
in  order  to  prevent  their  pressing  too  closely 
about  his  majesty.  Princes  and  governors, 
marshals  and  peers,  were  alike  subjected  to 
this  tedious  and  somewhat  humiliating  ceremo- 
ny, from  which  three  individuals  alone  were 
excepted,  Racine,  Boileau,  and  Mansard.  On 
their  arrival  at  the  guarded  door  they  simply 
scratched  against  the  panel,  when  the  usher 
threw  open  the  folding  door,  and  they  stood  in 
the  presence  of  the  monarch. 


1686.]    THE  SECRET  MARRIAGE.         341 

Dressing  the  king.  The  royal  breakfast. 

In  the  mean  time,  a  valet  of  the  wardrobe 
delivered  to  a  gentleman  of  the  chamber  the 
socks  and  garters,  which  the  gentleman  pre- 
sented to  the  monarch,  and  which  socks  his 
majesty  deigned  to  draw  on  himself.  Even 
with  his  own  hand  he  clasped  the  garters  with 
their  diamond  buckles.  Etiquette  did  not  al- 
low the  king  to  unclasp  them  at  night.  The 
head  valet  de  chambre  enjoyed  the  privilege 
of  unclasping  the  garter  of  the  right  leg,  while 
a  more  humble  attendant  performed  the  same 
office  for  the  left  leg. 

A  distinguished  officer  of  the  household  pre- 
sented the  monarch  with  his  haut  de  chausses 
(breeches),  to  which  silk  stockings  were  attach- 
ed ;  the  king  drew  them  on ;  another  gentle- 
man put  on  his  shoes ;  another  gentleman 
buckled  them.  Two  pages,  richly  dressed  in 
crimson  velvet  embroidered  with  gold,  removed 
the  slippers  which  the  king  had  laid  aside. 

And  now  came  the  royal  breakfast.  Two 
officers  of  the  household  entered,  in  pictur- 
esque attire,  one  bearing  a  loaf  of  bread  on  an. 
enameled  salver,  and  another  a  folded  napkin 
between  two  enameled  plates.  The  royal  cup- 
bearer handed  a  golden  vase,  richly  decorated, 
to  one  of  the  lords.  He  poured  into  it  a  small 


342  Louis  XIV.  [1686. 

Formalities.  Dressing  the  king. 

quantity  of  wine  and  water.  Another  lord 
tasted  of  it,  to  prove  that  it  contained  no  poi- 
son. The  vase  was  then  carefully  rinsed,  and 
being  again  filled  with  the  wine  and  water, 
was  presented  to  the  king  on  a  gold  salver. 

His  majesty  drank.  Then  the  dauphin,  who 
-was  always  present  at  these  solemnities,  hand- 
ed his  hat  and  gloves  to  the  first  lord  in  wait- 
ing, and  presented  the  monarch  with  a  napkin 
with  which  to  wipe  his  lips.  Breakfast  was  a 
very  frugal  repast.  Having  partaken  of  these 
slight  refreshments,  the  king  laid  aside  his 
dressing-gown.  One  of  his  lordly  attendants 
then  assisted  him.  in  removing  his  night-shirt 
by  the  left  sleeve.  It  was  Bontems's  peculiar 
privilege  to  draw  it  off  by  the  right  sleeve. 

The  royal  shirt,  which  had  been  carefully 
warmed,  was  then  given  to  the  first  lord.  He 
presented  it  to  the  dauphin,  who  approached 
and  presented  it  to  the  king.  Some  one  of  the 
higher  lords,  previously  designated  for  the 
honor,  assisted  the  king  in  the  arrangement  of 
his  shirt  and  breeches.  A  duke  enjoyed  the 
honor  of  putting  on  his  inner  wraistcoat.  Two 
valets  presented  the  king  with  his  sword,  vest, 
and  blue  ribbon.  A  nobleman  then  stepped 
forward  and  buckled  on  the  sword,  assisted  in 


1686.]    THE  SECRET  MARRIAGE.         343 

The  dressing  completed.  The  king  prays. 

putting  on  the  vest,  and  placed  over  his  shoul- 
ders a  scarf  bearing  the  cross  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  in  diamonds,  and  the  cross  of  St.  Louis. 

The  king  then  drew  on  his  under  coat,  with 
the  assistance  of  the  grand  master  of  the  robes, 
adjusted  his  cravat  of  rich  lace,  which  was 
folded  round  his  neck  by  a  favorite  courtier, 
and  finally  emptied  into  the  pockets  of  the 
loose  outer  coat,  which  was  presented  to  him 
for  that  purpose,  the  contents  of  those  which 
he  had  worn  the  previous  day.  He  then  re- 
ceived two  handkerchiefs  of  costly  point  from 
another  attendant,  by  whom  they  were  carried 
on  an  enameled  saucer  of  oval  shape  called 
salve.  His  toilet  once  completed,  Louis  XIV. 
returned  to  the  ruelle  of  his  bed,  where  he 
knelt  down  upon  two  cushions  already  pre- 
pared for  him,  and  said  his  prayers;  all  the 
bishops  and  cardinals  entering  within  the  bal- 
ustrade in  his  suite,  and  reciting  their  devo- 
tional exercises  in  a  suppressed  voice. 

The  king,  being  thus  dressed,  retired  from 
his  chamber  to  his  cabinet.  He  was  followed, 
in  solemn  procession,  by  all  those  dignitaries 
of  Church  and  State  who  had  enjoyed  the  priv- 
ilege of  the  Grand  Entree.  He  then  issued 
the  orders  of  the  day,  after  which  all  withdrew 


344:  Louis  XIY.  [108G. 

The  king  attends  mass.  Etiquette  at  the  royal  dinner. 

excepting  some  of  his  children,  whom  a  royal 
decree  had  legitimatized  and  raised  to  the  rank 
of  princes,  with  their  former  tutors  or  govern- 
ors. 

In  the  mean  time  a  crowd  of  courtiers  were 
assembled  in  the  great  gallery  of  Versailles, 
to  accompany  the  king  to  mass.  The  captain 
of  the  royal  guard  awaited  orders  at  the  door 
of  the  cabinet.  At  12  o'clock  the  door  was 
thrown  open,  and  the  king,  followed  by  a 
splendid  retinue,  proceeded  to  the  chapel. 

The  service  was  short.  At  one  o'clock  the 
king  returned  to  his  room,  and  dined  sumptu- 
ously and  alone.  He  was  waited  upon,  at  the 
table,  by  the  first  gentleman  of  the  chamber. 
Sometimes  the  dauphin  or  other  lords  of  high- 
est rank  were  present,  but  they  stood  respect- 
fully at  a  distance.  Ko  one  was  permitted  to 
be  seated  in  the  royal  presence.  The  brother 
of  the  king  stood  at  times  by  the  chair  of  his 
majesty,  holding  his  napkin  for  him.  Upon 
the  king's  twice  requesting  him  to  be  seated^ 
he  was  permitted  to  take  a  seat  upon  a  stool, 
behind  the  king,  still  holding  his  napkin. 

Upon  rising  from  the  table  the  king  repair- 
ed to  the  grand  saloon,  where  he  tarried  for  a 
few  moments,  that  persons  of  high  distinction, 


1686.]    THE  SECRET  MARRIAGE.         34-5 

Visits  the  keimel.  The  morning  drive. 

who  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  addressing  him, 
might  have  an  opportunity  to  do  so.  He  then 
returned  to  his  cabinet.  The  door  was  closed, 
and  the  king  had  a  brief  interview  with  his 
children,  of  whom  he  was  very  fond.  He  then 
repaired  to  the  kennel  of  his  dogs,  of  whom  he 
was  also  fond,  and  amused  himself,  for  a  time, 
in  feeding  them  and  playing  with  them. 

He  now  made  some  slight  change  in  his 
dress.  A  small  number  of  persons,  of  high 
rank,  enjoyed  the  distinguished  honor  of  being 
present  in  his  chamber  as  the  monarch,  with 
all  suitable  stateliness  of  ceremony,  exchanged 
one  royal  garment  for  another.  The  carriage 
awaited  the  king  in  the  marble  court.  He  de- 
scended by  a  private  staircase.  His  craving 
for  fresh  air  was  such  that  he  took  a  drive 
whatever  the  weather.  Scarcely  any  degree  of 
heat  or  cold,  or  floods  of  rain,  could  prevent  him 
from  his  drive,  or  his  stag-hunt,  or  his  over- 
looking the  workmen.  Sometimes  the  ladies 
of  his  court  rode  out  with  him  on  picnic  excur- 
sions to  the  forests  of  Fontainebleau  or  Marly. 

Upon  returning  from  the  drive,  the  king 
again  changed  his  dress  and  repaired  to  his 
cabinet.  He  then  proceeded  to  the  apartments 
of  Madame  de  Maintenon.  where  he  remained 


346  "Louis  XIV.  [1686. 

The  royal  supper.  Tasting  and  trying. 

conversing  with  her,  or  reading,  and  sometimes 
transacting  business  with  his  minister,  until  ten 
o'clock.  The  hour  for  supper  had  now  arrived. 
The  house-steward,  with  his  badge  of  office  in 
hand,  gave  the  information  to  the  captain  of 
the  guard.  He,  entering  the  royal  presence 
from  the  antechamber,  announced  the  fact  to 
the  king,  and  opened  wide  the  door.  After  the- 
delay  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  which  etiquette 
required,  his  majesty  advanced  to  the  supper- 
room.  During  the  quarter  of  an  hour  which 
had  elapsed,  the  officers  of  the  household  had 
made  preparations  for  the  royal  repast  by  tast- 
ing the  bread  and  the  salt,  and  by  testing  the 
plates,  the  fork,  the  spoon,  the  knife,  and  the 
tooth-pick  of  the  king,  so  as  to  be  assured  that 
no  poison  could  be  thus  conveyed. 

As  the  king,  preceded  by  the  house-steward 
and  two  ushers  with  flambeaux,  entered  the 
supper-room,  he  found  there  awaiting  him  the 
princes  and  princesses  of  France,  with  a  nu- 
merous assemblage  of  courtiers,  gentlemen,  and 
ladies.  The  king,  having  taken  his  seat,  re- 
quested the  others  to  be  seated  also.  Six  no- 
blemen immediately  stationed  themselves  at 
each  end  of  the  table,  to  wait  upon  the  king. 
Each  one,  as  he  presented  a  dish  to  the  king, 


1686.]     THE  SECRET  MARRIAGE.         347 

"  Drink  for  the  king  1"  He  feeds  his  dogs  at  midnight. 

first  tasted  of  it  himself.  When  the  king  wish- 
ed for  a  drink,  his  cup-bearer  exclaimed  aloud, 
"  Drink  for  the  king."  Two  of  the  principal  of- 
ficers, making  a  profound  obeisance,  approach- 
ed his  majesty,  one  bearing  an  enameled  cup 
and  two  decanters  upon  a  salver.  The  other 
poured  out  the  wine,  tasted  it,  and  presented 
the  goblet  to  the  king.  With  another  low  sal- 
utation, the  two  officers  replaced  the  decanters 
upon  the  sideboard. 

The  repast  being  finished,  the  king  rose,  and, 
preceded  by  two  guards  and  an  usher,  and  fol- 
lowed by  all  the  company,  proceeded  to  the 
bed-chamber.  He  there  bowed  adieu  to  the 
company,  and,  entering  the  cabinet,  took  a  seat 
in  a  large  arm-chair.  The  members  of  the 
royal  family  were  introduced.  His  brother, 
Monsieur,  was  permitted  to  take  an  arm-chair. 
All  the  rest  remained  standing  except  the  prin- 
cesses, who  were  indulged  with  stools.  After 
an  hour  or  so  of  such  converse  as  these  stately 
forms  would  admit,  the  king,  about  midnight, 
went  again  to  feed  his  dogs.  He  then  retired 
to  his  chamber,  with  great  pomp  said  his  pray- 
ers, and  was  undressed  and  put  to  bed  with 
ceremonies  similar  to  those  with  which  he  had 
been  dressed  in  the  morning. 


348  Louis  XIV.  [X686. 

Madame  de  Mainteuon's  apartments.  Her  tact. 

Such  was  the  ordinary  routine  of  the  life  of 
the  king  at  Versailles.  Its  dreary  monotony 
was  broken  by  occasional  fetes,  balls,  and  the- 
atric shows.  Madame  de  Maintenon  testifies 
to  the  almost  insupportable  tedium  of  such  a 
life.  "  If  you  could  only,"  she  exclaims, "  form 
an  idea  of  what  it  is !" 

Magnificent  apartments  were  prepared  for 
Madame  de  Maintenon  at  Versailles,  opposite 
the  suite  of  rooms  occupied  by  the  king.  Sim- 
ilar arrangements  were  made  for  her  in  all  the 
royal  palaces.  Royalty  alone  could  occupy 
arm-chairs  in  the  presence  of  the  sovereign. 
In  each  of  her  apartments  there  were  two  s"uch, 
one  for  the  king  and  the  other  for  herself.  The 
king  often  transacted  business  with  his  minis- 
ter, Louvois,  in  her  room.  She  had  sufficient 
tact  never  to  express  an  opinion,  or  to  take  a 
part  in  the  conversation  except  when  appealed 
to. 

Madame  de  Maintenon  was  exceedingly  anx- 
ious that  the  king  should  publicly  recognize 
her  as  his  wife.  It  is  said  that  the  king,  tor- 
mented by  the  embarrassments  which  the  se- 
cret marriage  had  brought  upon  him,  seriously 
contemplated  this.  His  minister,  Louvois,  re- 
monstrated even  passionately  against  such  a 


1689.]     THE  SECRET  MAREIAGE.         349 

Sickness  of  the  king.  •   A  surgicai  operation  necessary. 

recognition.  At  the  close  of  a  painful  inter- 
view upon  this  subject,  he  threw  himself  upon 
his  knees  before  his  majesty,  and,  presenting  to 
him  the  hilt  of  a  small  sword  which  the  minis- 
ter usually  wore,  exclaimed, 

"  Take  my  life,  sire,  that  I  may  not  become 
the  witness  of  a  disgrace  which  will  dishonor 
your  majesty  in  the  eyes  of  all  Europe." 

Others  of  the  most  influential  members  of 
the  court  joined  in  the  opposition,  and  so  stren- 
uously that  the  king  commanded  Madame  de 
Maintenon  never  again  to  allude  to  the  subject. 

Premature  old  age  was  fast  advancing  upon 
the  king,  though  he  had  as  yet  attained  only 
his  forty-ninth  year.  He  was  tortured  by  the 
gout.  He  was  also  attacked  by  a  very  painful 
and  dangerous  internal  malady.  His  suffer- 
ings were  dreadful.  It  became  necessary  for 
him  to  submit  to  a  perilous  surgical  operation. 
The  king  met  the  crisis  with  much  heroism." 
Four  persons  only,  including  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon,  were  present  during  the  operation.  In- 
deed, the  greatest  precautions  had  been  adopt- 
ed to  keep  the  fact  that  an  operation  was  to  be 
performed  a  profound  secret.  During  the  op- 
eration the  king  uttered  not  a  groan.  It  was 
successful.  In  gratitude  he  conferred  upon 


350  Louis  XI Y.  •  [1689. 

World-weariness  of  the  king.  Dissatisfied  with  Versailles. 

the  skillful  operator  who  had  relieved  him 
from  anguish  and  saved  his  life  an  estate  val- 
ued at  more  than  fifty  thousand  crowns. 

Weary  of  every  thing  else,  the  king  now 
sought  to  find  some  little  interest  in  building. 
The  renowned  architect,  Mansard,  whose  gen- 
ius still  embellishes  our  most  beautiful  edifices, 
was  commissioned  to  erect  a  pavilion  on  the 
grounds  of  Versailles  in  imitation  of  an  Italian 
villa.  Thus  rose,  within  a  year,  the  Grand 
Trianon,  which  subsequently  became  so  cele- 
brated as  the  favorite  rural  residence  of  Maria 
Antoinette. 

Most  men  who,  with  vast  wealth,  attempt  to 
build  a  mansion  which  shall  eclipse  that  of  all 
their  neighbors,  and  which  shall  be  perfect  in 
all  the  appliances  of  comfort  and  luxury,  find 
themselves,  in  the  end,  bitterly  disappointed. 
This  was  pre-eminently  the  case  with  Louis 
XIV.  The  palace  of  Versailles,  still  unfin- 
ished, had  already  cost  him  countless  millions. 
But  it  did  not  please  the  king.  It  had  cold 
and  cheerless  grandeur,  but  no  attractions  as  a 
home.  The  king  looked  with  weary  eyes  upon 
the  mountain  pile  of  marble  which  had  risen 
at  his  bidding,  and  found  it  about  as  unconge- 
nial for  a  home  as  would  be  the  Cathedral  of 


1689.]     THE  SECRET  MARRIAGE.        355 

The  royal  palaces  unsatisfactory.  The  "  hermitage"  at  Marly. 

Notre  Dame.  Disgusted  with  the  etiquette 
which  enslaved  him,  satiated  with  sensual  in- 
dulgence, and  having  exhausted  all  the  foun- 
tains of  worldly  pleasure,  with  waning  powers 
of  body  and  of  mind,  it  is  not  possible  that  any 
thing  could  have  satisfied  the  world-weary  king. 

He  had  other  palaces.  None  suited  him. 
The  Tuileries  and  the  Louvre  were  in  the  heart 
of  the  noisy  city.  The  banqueting  hall  at  St. 
Germain  overlooked  the  sepulchre  of  St.  Den- 
is, where  the  grave-worm  held  its  banquet. 
Fontainebleau  was  at  too  great  a  distance  from 
the  capital.  To  reach  it  required  a  carriage 
drive  of  four  or  five  hours.  Vincennes,  not- 
withstanding the  grandeur  of  the  antique, 
time-worn  castle,  was  gloomy  in  its  surround- 
ings, inconvenient  in  its  internal  arrangements 
— a  prison  rather  than  a  palace. 

About  nine  miles  from  Paris,  upon  the  left 
bank  of  the  Seine,  there  reposed  the  silent  vil- 
lage of  Marly.  The  king  selected  that  as  the 
spot  upon  which  he  would  rear  a  snug  "  her- 
mitage" to  which  he  could  retire  "  from  noise 
and  tumult  far."  The  passion  for  building  is 
a  fearful  passion,  which  often  involves  its  vic- 
tim in  ruin.  The  plans  of  the  king  expanded 
under  his  eye.  The  little  hermitage  became  a 


556  Louis  £1V.  [1689. 

War  with  Germany.  The  danphin  in  command. 

spacious  palace,  where  a  court  could  be  enter- 
tained with  all  the  appliances  of  regal  elegance. 

But  dark  and  stormy  days  were  rapidly 
gathering  around  the  path  of  the  king.  He 
became  involved  in  war  with  Germany.  The 
complicated  reasons  can  scarcely  be  unraveled. 
The  king  sent  his  son,  the  dauphin,  at  the  head 
of  one  hundred  thousand  men,  to  invade  Hol- 
land. Situated  upon  both  sides  of  the  Rhine 
there  was  a  territory  called  the  Palatinate.  It 
embraced  one  thousand  five  hundred  and  nine- 
ty square  miles,  being  not  quite  so  large  as  the 
State  of  Delaware.  It  contained  an  intelli- 
gent, industrious,  and  prosperous  population  of 
a  little  over  three  hundred  thousand.  The 
beautiful  city  of  Manheim  was  the  capital  of 
the  province. 

Though  the  dauphin  was  nominally  at  the 
head  of  the  invading  army,  that  the  glory  of 
its  victories  might  redound  to  his  name,  the 
ablest  of  the  French  generals  were  associated 
with  him,  and  they,  in  reality,  took  the  direc- 
tion of  affairs.  One  city  after  another  speedi- 
ly fell  into  the  hands  of  the  French.  The  king 
mercilessly  resolved,  and  without  any  justifica- 
tion whatever,  to  convert  tho  whole  province 
into  a  desert.  An  order  was  issued  by  the 


1689.]     THE  SECRET  MARRIAGE.         357 

Devastation  of  the  Palatinate.  Designs  upon  England. 

king  that  every  city,  village,  castle,  and  hut 
should  be  laid  in  ashes. 

It  was  midwinter — the  month  of  February,. 
1689.  There  were  many  beautiful  cities  in 
the  province,  such  as  Manheim,  Philipsbourg^ 
Franckendal,  Spire,  Treves,  Worms,  and  Op- 
pendeim.  There  were  more  than  fifty  feudal 
castles  in  the  territory,  the  ancestral  homes  of 
tioble  families.  The  citizens  had  but  short 
warning.  Houses,  furniture,  food,  all  were 
consumed.  The  flames  rose  to  heaven,  calling 
upon  God  for  vengeance.  Smouldering  ruins- 
every  where  met  the  eye.  Men,  women,  and 
children  wandered  starving  through  the  fields. 

Nearly  all  Europe  soon  became  banded 
against  this  haughty  monarch,  and  he  found  it 
necessary  to  raise  an  army  of  four  hundred 
thousand  men  to  meet  the  exigencies. 

Intoxicated  by  the  pride  of  past  success,  he 
thought  that  he  should  be  able  to  force  upon 
England  a  Roman  Catholic  king,  and  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  faith,  and  thus  expel'heresy  from 
England,  as  he  dreamed  that  he  had  expelled 
it  from  France.  He  equipped  a  fleet,  and 
manned  it  with  twenty  thousand  soldiers,  to 
force  upon  the  British  people  King  James  IL, 
"vhom  they  had  indignantly  discarded. 


358  Louis  XIV.  [1689 

Civil  war  in  France.  Complications  of  the  royal  family. 

Civil  war  was  now  also  desolating  unhappy 
France.  The  Protestants,  bereft  of  their  chil- 
dren, robbed  of  their  property,  driven  from 
their  homes,  dragged  to  the  galleys,  plunged 
into  dungeons,  broken  upon  the  wheel,  hanged 
upon  scaffolds,  rose  in  several  places  in  the 
most  desperate  insurrectionary  bands.  And 
the  man  who  was  thus  crushing  beneath  the 
heel  of  his  armies  the  quivering  hearts  of  the 
Palatinate,  and  who  was  drenching  his  own 
realms  with  tears  and  blood,  was  clothed  in 
purple,  and  faring  sumptuously,  and  reclining 
upon  the  silken  sofas  of  Marly  and  Versailles. 
It  is  not  strange  that  Faith,  with  uplifted  hands 
and  gushing  eyes,  should  have  exclaimed,  "O 
Lord,  how  long !" 

The  singular  complication  of  the  royal  fam- 
ily, with  the  various  mothers  and  the  various 
children,  some  of  which  children  were  recog- 
nized by  royal  decree  as  princes,  and  some  of 
whom  were  not,  filled  the  palaces  witli  bicker- 
ings, envyings,  and  discontent  in  every  form. 
The  unhappy  dauphiness,  who  had  long  been 
immersed  in  the  profoundest  gloom,  at  last 
found  a  welcome  retreat  in  the  grave.  Nei- 
ther her  husband  nor  the  king  shed  a  single 
tear  over  her  remains,  which  were  hurried  to 
the  Vaults  of  St.  Denis. 


1690.]      INTRIGUES  AND  WARS.  359 

Exhaustion  of  the  treasury.  The  royal  plate  sacrificed 


CHAPTER  XL 
INTRIGUES  AND  WARS. 

THE  treasury  of  the  king  was  empty.  Ex- 
travagant building,  a  voluptuous  court, 
and  all  the  enormous  expenses  of  civil  and 
foreign  wars,  had  quite  exhausted  the  finances 
of  the  realm.  It  became  necessary  to  call  upon 
the  cities  for  contributions.  New  offices  were 
invented,  which  were  imposed  upon  the  wealthy 
citizens,  and  for  which  they  were  compelled  to 
pay  large  SUPIS.  Even  the  massive  silver  plate 
and  furniture,  which  had  attracted  the  admira- 
tion of  all  visitors  to  Versailles,  were  sent  to 
the  Mint  and  coined.  Most  of  the  value  of 
these  articles  of  ornament  consisted  of  the  skill 
with  which  the  materials  had  been  wrought  into 
forms  of  beauty.  In  melting  them  down,  all 
this  was  sacrificed,  and  nothing  remained  but 
the  mere  value  of  the  metal.  Large  as  were 
the  sums  attained  by  these  means,  they  were 
but  trifling  compared  with  the  necessities  of 
the  state. 

Louvois,  the  minister  of  Louis,  had  for  a  long 


360  Louis  XIY.  [1690. 

Assumptions  of  Louvois. 

time  held  the  reins  of  government.  It  was 
through  his  influence  that  the  king  had  been 
instigated  to  revoke  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  to 
order  the  dragonnades,  and  to  authorize  those 
atrocities  of  persecution  which  must  ever  ex- 
pose the  name  of  Louis  XIY.  to  the  execra- 
tions of  humanity.  It  was  Louvois  who,  from 
merely  contemptible  caprice,  plunged  France 
into  war  with  Germany.  It  was  through  his 
persuasions  that  the  king  was  induced  to  order 
the  utter  devastation  of  the  Palatinate. 

But  the  influence  of  Louvois  was  now  on  the 
wane.  The  jealous  king  became  weary  of  his 
increasingly  haughty  assumptions.  The  con- 
flagration of  the  Palatinate  raised  a  cry  of  in- 
dignation which  the  king  could  not  but  hear. 
The  city  of  Treves  had  escaped  the  flames. 
Louvois  solicited  an  order  to  burn  it.  The 
king  refused  to  give  his  consent.  Louvois  in- 
solently gave  the  order  himself.  He  then  in- 
formed the  king  that  he  had  done  so  that  he 
might  spare  the  conscience  of  the  king  the  pain 
of  issuing  such  an  edict. 

Louis  was  furious.  In  his  rage  he  forgot  all 
the  restraints  of  etiquette.  He  seized  from  the 
fireplace  the  tongs,  and  would  have  broken  the 
head  of  the  minister  had  not  Madame  de  Main- 


1691.]       INTRIGUES  AND  WA-ES.  363- 

Disgrace,  sickness,  and  death  of  Louvois. 

tenon  rushed  between  them.  The  king  ordered 
a'  messenger  Immediately  to  be  dispatched  to 
countermand  the  order.  He  declared  that  if 
a  single  house  were  burned,  the  head  of  the 
minister  should  be  the  forfeit.  The  city  was 
saved. 

In  1691  the  French  army  was  besieging 
Mons.  The  king  visited  the  works.  The  haugh- 
ty minister,  unintimidated  even  by  the  menace 
of  the  tongs,  ventured  to  countermand  an  or- 
der which  the  king  had  issued.  The  lowering 
brow  of  the  monarch  convinced  him  that  his 
ministerial  reign  was  soon  to  close. 

The  health  of  the  minister  began  rapidly  to 
fail.  He  became  emaciate,  languid,  and  deep- 
ly depressed.  A  few  subsequent  interviews 
with  the  king  satisfied  him  that  his  disgrace 
and  ruin  were  decided  upon.  Indeed,  the  king 
had  already  drawn  up  the  lettre  de  cachet 
which  was  to  consign  him  to  the  Bastile. 
About  the  middle  of  June,  1691,  Louvois  met 
the  king  in  his  council  chamber,  and,  though 
the  monarch  was  unusually  complaisant,  Lou- 
vois so  thoroughly  understood  him  that  he  re- 
tired to  his  residence  in  utter  despair.  Scarce- 
ly had  he  entered  his  apartment  ere  he  dropped 
dead  upon  the  floor.  Whether  his  death  were 


•364  Louis   XiY.  [1692. 

Louis  suspicions  of  Madame  de  Maintenon.  Letters. 

caused  by  apoplexy,  or  by  poison  administered 
by  his  own  hand  or  that  of  others,  can  never 
be  known.  The  king  forbade  all  investigation 
of  the  case. 

Immediately  after  the  death  of  Louvois,  the 
king  began  to  devote  himself  to  business  with 
an  energy  which  he  had  never  before  mani- 
fested. Madame  de  Maintenon  made  some 
farther  efforts  to  induce  him  to  proclaim  their 
marriage,  but  she  soon  perceived  that  nothing 
would  induce  him  to  change  his  resolution,  and 
she  accepted  the  situation.  Louis  now  yielded 
more  than  ever  to  her  influence ;  but  he  was 
always  apprehensive  that  she  might  be  engaged 
in  some  secret  intrigue,  and  kept  a  vigilant 
watch  over  her.  In  letters  to  a  friend,  she  gives 
some  account  of  her  splendid  rflisery. 

"  The  king  is  perpetually  on  guard  over  me. 
I  see  no  one.  He  never  leaves  my  room.  I 
am  compelled  to  rise  at  five  in  the  morning  in 
order  to  write  to  you.  I  experience  more  than 
ever  that  there  is  no  compensation  for  the  loss 
of  liberty." 

Again  she  writes,  in  reference  to  the  weary 
routine  of  court  life:  "The  princesses  who 
have  not  attended  the  hunt  will  come  in,  fol- 
lowed by  their  cabal,  and  wait  the  return  of 


1692.]       INTRIGUES  AND  WARS.  365 

Court  life.  The  dauphin.  His  sons. 

the  king  in  my  apartment  in  order  to  go  to 
dinner.  The  hunters  will  come  in  a  crowd, 
and  will  relate  the  whole  history  of  their  day's 
sport,  without  sparing  us  a  single  detail.  They 
will  then  go  to  dinner.  Madame  de  Dangeau 
will  challenge  me,  with  a  yawn,  to  a  game  of 
backgammon.  Such  is  the  way  in  which  peo- 
ple live  at  court." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  king  and 
queen  had  an  only  son,  the  dauphin.  He  was 
a  man  of  ignoble  character  and  of  feeble  mind. 
Still,  as  heir  to  the  throne,  he  was,  next  to  the 
king,  the  most  important  personage  in  the 
realm.  The  dauphin  had  three  sons,  who  were 
in  the  direct  line  of  succession  to  the  'crown. 
These  were  Louis,  duke  of  Burgoyne,  Philip, 
duke  of  Anjou,  and  Charles,  duke  of  Berri. 

The  eldest,  the  Duke  of  Burgoyne,  who,  of 
-course,  next  to  the  dauphin,  was  heir  to  the 
throne,  was  thirteen  years  of  age.  The  king 
selected  for  his  wife  Adelaide,  the  daughter 
of  the  Duke  of  Savoy,  a  remarkably  graceful, 
beautiful,  and  intelligent  child  of  eleven  years. 
The  pretty  little  girl  was  brought  to  France  to 
spend  a  few  months  in  the  court  previous  to 
her  marriage,  which  was  to  take  place  as  soon 
as  she  should  attain  her  twelfth  year.  She 


366  Louis  XIV.  [1692. 

Graces  of  the  Duchess  of  Bnrgoyne. 

came  in  great  splendor,  with  her  retinue,  her 
court,  and  her  ladies  of  honor.  Both  the  king 
and  Madame  de  Maintenon  were  charmed 
\/ith  the  princess.  Sumptuous  apartments 
were  assigned  her  in  the  palace  of  Versailles. 
Madame  de  Maintenon  wrote  to  the  Duchess 
of  Savoy, 

"  The  king  is  enchanted  with  her.  He  ex- 
patiates on  her  deportment,  her  grace,  her 
courtesy,  her  reserve,  and  her  modesty.  She 
has  all  the  graces  of  girlhood,  with  the  perfec- 
tions of  a  more  mature  age.  Her  temper  ap- 
pears as  perfect  as  her  figure  promises  one  day 
to  become.  She  only  requires  to  speak  to  dis- 
play the  extent  of  her  intellect.  I  can  not  re- 
sist thanking  your  royal  highness  for  giving 
us  a  child  who,  according  to  all  appearance, 
will  be  the  delight  of  the  court,  and  the  glory 
of  the  century." 

The  king  resolved  that  the  festivities  at  the 
marriage  of  these  two  children  should  be  the 
most  splendid  which  France  had  ever  witness- 
ed. He  announced  the  intention  of  appearing 
himself,  upon  the  occasion,  in  the  most  sump- 
tuous apparel  which  the  taste  and  art  of  the 
times  could  furnish.  This  intimation  was  suf- 
ficient for  the  courtiers.  Preparations  were 


1697.]      INTRIGUES  AND  WARS.  367 

Misery  of  the  people.  Extravagance  of  the  court 

made  for  such  a  display  of  folly  and  extrava- 
gance as  even  alarmed  the  king.  All  ordinary 
richness  of  dress,  of  satin,  and  velvet,  and  em- 
broidery of  gold,  was  discarded  for  fabrics  of 
unprecedented  costliness,  for  bouquets  of  dia- 
monds, and  wreaths  of  the  most  precious  gems. 

"  I  can  not  understand,"  exclaimed  the  king, 
"  how  husbands  are  mad  enough  to  suffer 
themselves  to  be  ruined  by  the  folly  of  their 
wives." 

The  marriage  took  place  between  the  bride 
of  twelve  years  and  the  bridegroom  of  four- 
teen at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  the  7th  of 
December,  1697.  The  ceremony  was  perform- 
ed in  the  chapel  of  the  palace  at  Versailles. 
The  ensuing  festivals  exceeded  in  magnificence 
all  that  Versailles  had  previously  witnessed. 
But  there  was  no  rejoicing  among  the  people. 
They  listened,  some  silently,  some  sullenly, 
some  murmuringly,  to  the  chiming  bells  and 
the  booming  cannon.  The  elements  of  discon- 
tent and  wrath  were  slowly  beginning  to  col- 
lect for  bursting  forth  one  hundred  years  later, 
in  that  most  sublime  of  moral  tempests,  the 
French  Revolution. 

The  grand  avenue  to  Versailles  day  after 
day  was  crowded  with  gorgeous  equipages. 


368  Louis  XIV.  [1700. 

Brilliant  assembly.  Death  of  Charles  II. 

At  night  it  blazed  with  illuminations.  The 
highest  ingenuity  was  taxed  to  devise  new 
scenes  of  splendor  and  amusement,  which  fol- 
lowed each  other  in  rapid  succession.  Three 
days  after  the  marriage,  the  king  gave  a  spe- 
cial assembly  which  was  to  eclipse  all  the  rest 
All  the  ladies  were  directed  to  appear  in  dress- 
es of  black  velvet,  that  the  precious  gems, 
which  were  almost  literally  to  cover  those 
dresses,  might  sparkle  more  brilliantly.  The 
great  gallery  of  Versailles  was  illuminated  by 
four  thousand  wax-lights.  The  young  bride 
wore  upon  her  apron  alone  jewels  estimated 
at  a  sum  equal  to  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  1700,  Charles  II., 
the  half  crazed  King  of  Spain,  died,  leaving 
no  heir.  The  pope,  Innocent  XII.,  bribed  by 
Louis  XIV.,  sent  a  nuncio  to  the  dying  king, 
enjoining  upon  him  to  transmit  his  crown  to 
the  children  of  the  Dauphin  of  France,  as  the 
legitimate  heirs  to  the  monarchy.  As  the 
Duke  of  Burgoyne  was  the  direct  heir  to  the 
throne  of  France,  the  second  son  of  the  dau 
phin,  the  Duke  of  Anjou,  still  a  mere  boy,  was 
proclaimed  King  of  Spain,  with  the  title  of 
Philip  V. 

On  the  14th  of  the  month  the  Spanish  env 


1700.]      INTRIGUES  AND  WARS.  369 

The  Duke  of  Anjou  proclaimed  King  of  Spain. 

bassador  was  summoned  to  an  audience  with 
Louis  XIV.  at  Versailles.  The  king  present- 
ed his  grandson  to  the  minister,  saying,  "  This, 
sir,  is  the  Duke  of  Anjou,  whom  you  may  sa- 
lute as  your  king." 

A  large  crowd  of  courtiers  was  soon  assem- 
bled. The  Spanish  minister  threw  himself 
upon  his  knees  before  the  boy  with  expressions 
of  profound  homage.  There  was  a  scene  of 
great  excitement.  The  king,  embracing  with 
his  left  arm  the  neck  of  the  young  prince, 
pointed  to  him  with  his  right  hand,  and  said 
to  those  present, 

"  Gentlemen,  this  is  the  King  of  Spain.  His 
birth  calls  him  to  the  crown.*  The  late  king 
has  recognized  his  right  by  his  will.  All  the 
nation  desires  his  succession,  and  has  entreated 
it  at  my  hands.  It  is  the  will  of  Heaven,  to 
which  I  conform  with  satisfaction." 

The  Duke  of  Airjoi1  was  quite  delighted  in 

*  The  claim  of  the  young  prince  was  founded  upon  the  fact 
that  his  grandmother,  Maria  Theresa,  was  the  eldest  daugh- 
ter of  Philip  IV.  of  Spain.  She  had,  however,  upon  her  mar 
riage,  renounced  all  claim  to  the  succession.  Her  younger 
sister,  Margarita,  had  married  the  Emperor  Leopold  of  Aus- 
tria without  this  renunciation.  The  emperor  claimed  the 
crown  for  her  daughter,  who  had  married  the  Elector  of  Ba- 
varia. Hence  the  war  of  The  Spanish  Succession. 
1—23 


370  Louis  XIV.  [1700. 

Anecdote  of  the  princes.  Preparations  for  the  coronation- 

finding  himself  thus  liberated  from  all  the  re- 
straints of  tutors  and  governors,  and  of  being, 
in  his  boyhood,  elevated  to  the  dignity  of  a 
crowned  king.  As  soon  as  these  stately  forms 
of  etiquette  were  concluded,  and  he  was  alone 
With  his  brothers,  he  kicked  up  his  heels  and 
snapped  his  fingers,  exclaiming  with  delight, 

"  So  I  am  King  of  Spain.  You,  Burgoyne, 
will  be  King  of  France.  And  you,  my  poor 
Berri,  are  the  only  one  who  must  live  and  die 
a  subject." 

The  little  prince  replied,  perhaps  upon  the 
principle  that  "  the  grapes  were  sour,"  perhaps 
because  he  had  observed  how  little  real  happi- 
ness regal  state  had  brought  to  his  grandfather, 

"  That  fact  will  not  grieve  me.  I  shall  have 
less  trouble  and  more  pleasure  than  either  of 
you.  I  shall  enjoy  the  right  of  hunting  both 
in  France  and  Spain,  and  can  follow  a  wolf 

from  Paris  to  Madrid." 

i 

Preparations  were  immediately  made  for  the 
departure  of  the  boy-king  to  take  possession  of 
his  Spanish  throne  and  crown.  The  pomp- 
loving  French  king  had  decided  to  invest  tho 
occasion  with  great  splendor.  He  regarded  it 
as  a  signal  stroke  of  policy,  and  a  great  victory 
on  his  part,  that  he  had  been  enabled,  notwith- 


1700.]      INTRIGUES  AND  WABS.  371 

Exultation  of  Louis  XIV.  Filial  meeting  of  the  royal  family. 

standing  the  remonstrances  of  other  nations,  to 
place  a  French  Bourbon  prince  upon  the  throne 
of  Spain,  thus  virtually  uniting  the  two  nations. 
He  thought  he  had  thus  extended  the  domain 
of  France  to  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar.  "  Hence- 
forth," exclaimed  Louis  XIV.,  exultingly, 
"  there  are  no  more  Pyrenees." 

To  his  grandson,  the  new  king,  he  said,  "  Be 
a  good  Spaniard,  but  never  forget  that  you 
were  born  a  Frenchman.  Carefully  maintain 
the  union  of  the  two  nations.  Thus  only  can 
you  render  them  both  happy." 

There  was  a  final  meeting  of  the  royal  fam- 
ily to  take  leave  of  the  young  monarch  as  he 
was  departing  for  his  realm.  All  the  young 
nobility  of  France,  with  a  numerous  military 
escort,  were  to  compose  his  brilliant  retinue. 
The  Duchess  du  Maine,  the  legitimatized  daugh- 
ter of  Madame  de  Montespan,  and  thus  the  half 
brother  of  the  dauphin,  persuaded  the  dauphin 
to  invite  her  mother  to  the  palace  on  this  occa- 
sion. Here  occurred  the  last  interview  between 
the  heartless  king  and  his  discarded  favorite. 

As  the  king  made  the  tour  of  the  room,  he 
found  himself  opposite  Madame  de  Montespan. 
She  was  greatly  overcome  by  her  emotions,  and, 
pale  and  trembling,  was  near  fainting.  The 


372  Louis  XIV.  [1700. 

Last  interview  between  Madame  de  Montespan  and  the  king. 

king  coldly  and  searchingly,  for  a  moment, 
fixed  his  eye  upon  her,  and  then  said,  calmly, 

"  Madame,  I  congratulate  you.  You  are  still 
as  handsome  and  attractive  as  ever.  I  hope 
that  you  are  also  happy." 

The  marchioness  replied, "At  this  moment, 
sire,  I  am  very  happy,  since  I  have  the  honor 
of  presenting  my  respectful  homage  to  your 
majesty." 

The  king,  with  his  studied  grace  of  courtesy, 
kissed  her  hand,  and  continued  his  progress 
around  the  circle.  The  monarch  and  his  per- 
haps equally  guilty  victim  never  met  again. 
She  lived  twenty-two  years  after  her  expulsion 
from  the  palace.  They  were  twenty-two  years 
of  joylessness.  Her  confessor,  who  seems  to 
have  been  a  man  of  sincere  piety,  refused  her 
absolution  until  she  had  written  to  her  hus- 
band, the  Marquis  de  Montespan,  whom  she 
had  abandoned  for  the  guilty  love  of  the  king, 
affirming  her  heartfelt  repentance,  imploring 
his  forgiveness,  and  entreating  him  either  to 
receive  her  back,  or  to  order  her  to  any  place 
of  residence  which  he  should  think  proper. 
The  indignant  marquis  replied  that  he  would 
neither  admit  her  to  his  house,  nor  prescribe 
for  her  any  future  rules  of  conduct,  nor  suffer 


1707.]      INTRIGUES  AND  WARS.  373 

Penaaee  of  Madame  de  Montespan.  Her  death. 

her  name  ever  again  to  be  mentioned  in  his 
presence. 

The  reverend  father  compelled  her,  in  atone- 
ment for  her  sins,  to  sit  at  a  frugal  table ;  to 
consecrate  her  vast  wealth  to  objects  of  benev- 
olence ;  to  wear  haircloth  next  her  skin,  and 
around  her  waist  a  girdle  with  sharp  points,, 
which  lacerated  her  body  at  every  movement. 
She  was  also  daily  employed  in  making  gar- 
ments of  the  coarsest  materials  with  her  own 
hands  for  the  sick  in  the  hospitals,  and  for  the 
poor  in  their  squalid  homes. 

The  guilty  marchioness  was  dreadfully  afraid 
of  death.  Every  night  a  careful  guard  of  wom- 
en watched  her  bedside.  In  a  thunder-storm 
she  would  take  an  infant  in  her  lap,  that  the 
child's  innocence  might  be  her  protection.  In 
the  night  of  the  26th  of  May,  1707,  she  was  at- 
tacked in  her  bed  by  very  distressing  suffoca- 
tion. One  of  her  sons,  the  Marquis  of  Antin, 
was  immediately  sent  for.  He  found  his  moth- 
er insensible.  Seizing  a  casket  which  contained 
her  jewels,  he  demanded  of  an  attendant  the 
key.  It  was  suspended  around  the  neck  of  his 
dying  mother,  where  she  ever  wore  it.  The 
young  man  went  to  the  bedside,  tore  away  the 
lace  which  veiled  his  mother's  bosom,  seized 


374  Louis  XIV.  [1707. 

Heartless  conduct  of  the  king.  His  health  failing: 

the  key,  unlocked  the  casket,  emptied  its  con- 
tents into  his  pockets,  descended  to  his  carriage, 
and  hurried  away  with  the  treasure,  leaving  his 
mother  to  die  without  a  relative  to  close  her 
eyes.  An  hour  after  she  breathed  her  last. 

The  king  was  informed  of  the  death  of  Ma- 
dame de  Montespan  just  as  he  was  setting  out 
on  a  shooting  excursion.  "Ah!  indeed,"  he 
said,  "and  so  the  marchioness  is  dead.  I 
should  have  thought  that  she  would  have  last- 
ed longer.  Are  you  ready,  M.  de  la  Roche- 
foucald  ?  I  have  no  doubt  that  after  this  last 
shower  the  scent  will  lie  well  for  the  dogs., 
Come,  let  us  be  off  at  once." 

We  have  slightly  anticipated  the  chronolog* 
ical  sequence  of  events  in  this  narrative  of  the 
death  of  Madame  de  Montespan,  which  took 
place  in  the  year  1707.  James  II.  of  England 
died  in  exile  at  St.  Germain  in  September, 
1701.  The  Prince  of  Orange  then  occupied 
the  British  throne  with  the  title  of  William 
III.  He  formed  what  was  called  the  "  Grand 
Alliance"  against  the  encroachments  of  France. 
For  several  years  the  war  of  the  "  Spanish 
Succession"  raged  with  almost  unprecedented 
fury  throughout  all  Europe. 

The    king's    health   was   now  failing,  and 


1707.]      INTRIGUES  AND  WARS.  377 

Quarrel  with  Philip.  He  is  stricken  with  apoplexy. 

troubles  in  rapid  succession  came  crowding 
upon  him.  His  armies  encountered  terrible 
defeats.  The  king  had  thus  far  lived  on 
friendly  terms  with  his  only  brother  Philip, 
duke  of  Orleans,  the  playmate  of  his  childhood, 
and  the  submissive  subject  of  maturer  years. 
They  were  now  both  soured  by  misfortune.- 
In  a  chance  meeting  at  Marly  they  fell  into  a 
violent  altercation  respecting  the  conduct  of 
one  of  the  sons  of  the  duke.  It  was  their  first 
quarrel  since  childhood.  The  duke  was  so  ex- 
cited by  the  event  that  he  hastened  to  his  pal- 
ace at  St.  Cloud  with  flushed  cheeks  and  trem- 
bling nerves,  where  he  was  stricken  down  by 
apoplexy.  A  courier  was  immediately  dis- 
patched to  the  king.  He  hastened  to  the  bed- 
side of  his  brother,  and  found  him  insensible. 

Philip  was  two  years  younger  than  Louis. 
To  see  him  die  was  a  louder  appeal  to  the  con- 
science of  the  king  than  the  view  of  St.  Denis 
from  the  terrace  at  St.  Germain.  Death  was, 
to  this  monarch,  truly  the  king  of  terrors.  lie 
could  not  endure  the  spectacle  of  his  brother's 
dying  convulsions.  Burying  his  face  in  his 
hands,  he  wept  and  sobbed  bitterly.  It  was  a 
midnight  scene,  or  rather  it  was  the  sombre 
hour  of  three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 


378  Louis  XIV.  [1701. 

Death  of  the  king's  brother.  The  king  dispels  his  gloom. 

At  8  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  king  took 
his  carriage  and  returned  to  Marly,  and  repair- 
ed immediately  to  the  apartment  of  Madame 
de  Maintenon.  At  11  o'clock  his  physician 
arrived  with  the  intelligence  that  the  duke  was 
dead.  Again  the  king  was  overcome  with 
emotion,  and  wept  almost  convulsively;  but, 
soon  recovering  himself,  he  apparently  resolved 
to  make  every  effort  to  throw  off  these  painful 
thoughts. 

Notwithstanding  the  remonstrances  of  Ma- 
dame de  Maintenon,  he  persisted  in  his  deter- 
mination to  dine,  as  usual,  with  the  ladies  of 
the  court.  Much  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
ladies,  he  was  heard,  in  his  own  room,  singing 
an  air  from  a  recent  opera  which  was  far  from 
funereal  in  its  character. 

In  the  month  of  May  of  this  same  year,  1701, 
the  Duke  of  Anjou,  the  young  King  of  Spain, 
who  was  uneasily  seated  upon  his  beleaguered 
throne,  entered  into  a  matrimonial  alliance 
with  Maria  Louisa  of  Savoy,  younger  sister  of 
Adelaide,  the  duchess  of  Burgoyne.  She  wras 
of  fairy-like  stature,  but  singularly  graceful 
and  beautiful,  with  the  finest  complexion,  and 
eyes  of  dazzling  brilliance.  Her  mental  en- 
dowments were  also  equal  to  her  physical 


1701.]      INTRIGUES  AND  WAES.  379 

The  Princess  des  Ursius.  Civil  war. 

charms.  Louis  XIV.,  ever  anxious  to  retain 
the  control  over  the  court  of  Spain,  appointed 
the  Princess  des  Ursins  to  be  the  companion 
and  adviser  of  the  young  queen.  This  lady 
was  alike  remarkable  for  her  intelligence,  her 
sagacity,  her  tact,  and  her  thorough  acquaint- 
ance with  high  and  courtly  breeding.  The 
young  King  of  Spain  was  perfectly  enamored 
of  his  lovely  bride.  She  held  the  entire  con- 
trol over  him.  The  worldly-wise  and  experi- 
enced Princess  des  Ursins  guided,  in  obedience 
to  the  dictates  of  Louis  XIV.,  almost  every 
thought  and  volition  of  the  young  queen. 
Thus  the  monarch  at  Marly  ruled  the  court  at 
Madrid. 

While  foreign  war  was  introducing  bank- 
ruptcy to  the  treasury  of  France,  civil  war  was 
also  desolating  the  kingdom.  The  sufferings 
of  the  Protestants  equaled  any  thing  which  had 
been  witnessed  in  the  days  of  pagan  persecu- 
tion. The  most  ferocious  of  all  these  men,  who 
were  breathing  out  threatenings  and  slaughter, 
was  the  Abbe  de  Chayla.  This  wretch  had 
captured  a  party  of  Protestants,  and,  with  them, 
two  young  ladies  from  families  of  distinction. 
They  were  all  brutally  thrust  into  a  dungeon, 
and  were  fettered  in  a  wav  which  caused  ex- 


680  Louis  XIV.  [17021 

Insurrection  of  the  Protestants.          Enthusiasm  of  the  Camisards. 

treme  anguish,  and  crushed  some  of  their  bones. 
It  was  the  24th  of  July,  1702.  At  ten  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  a  partv  of  about  fifty  resolute 
Protestants,  thoroughly  armed,  and  chanting  a 
psalm,  broke  into  the  palace  of  the  infamous  ec- 
clesiastic, released  the  prisoners  from  the  dun- 
geon vaults,  seized  the  abbe",  and,  after  compel- 
ling him  to  look  upon  the  mangled  bodies  and 
broken  bones  of  his  victims,  put  him  to  death 
by  a  dagger-stroke  from  each  one  of  his  assail- 
ants. The  torch  was  'then  applied,  and  the  pal- 
ace laid  in  ashes. 

Hence  commenced  the  terrible  civil  war 
called  The  War  of  the  Camisards.  The  Prot- 
estants were  poor,  dispersed,  without  arms,  and 
without  leaders.  Despair  nerved  them.  They 
fled  to  rocks,  to  the  swamps,  the  forests.  In 
their  unutterable  anguish  they  were  led  to  fren- 
zies of  enthusiasm.  They  believed  that  God 
chose  their  leaders,  and  inspired  them  to  action. 
Thus  roused  and  impelled,  they  set  at  defiance 
an  army  of  twenty  thousand  men  sent  against 
them. 

The  terrible  war  lasted  two  years.  Fiends 
could  not  have  perpetrated  greater  cruelties 
than  were  perpetrated  by  the  troops  of  the 
king.  It  is  one  of  the  mysteries  of  divine  prov- 


1702.]      INTRIGUES  AND  WARS.          381 


Cruelty  of  the  persecutors. 


idence  that  one  man  should  have  been  permit- 
ted to  create  such  wide-spread  and  unutterable 
woe.  Louis  XIV.  wished  to  exterminate  Prot- 
estantism from  his  realms.  Millions  were  made 
wretched  to  an  intensity  which  no  pen  can  de- 
scribe. Louis  XIV.  wished  to  place  his  grand» 
son,  without  any  legal  title,  upon  the  throne 
of  Spain.  In  consequence,  Europe  was  deluged 
in  blood.  Cities  were  sacked  and  burned. 
Provinces  were  devastated.  Hundreds  of  thou- 
sands perished  in  the  blood  of  the  battle-field. 
The  book  of  final  judgment  alone  can  tell  how 
many  widows  and  orphans  went  weeping  to 
their  graves. 

The  Pope  Clement  IX.  fulminated  a  bull 
against  the  Camisards,  and  promised  the  abso- 
lute remission  of  sins  to  those  engaged  in  their 
extermination.  Protestant  England  and  Hol- 
land sent  words  of  cheer  to  their  fellow-relig- 
ionists. We  can  not  enter  into  the  details  of 
this  conflict.  The  result  was  that  the  king 
found  it  impossible  to  exterminate  the  Prot- 
estants, or  to,  blot  out  their  faith.  A  policy 
of  semi -tolerance  was  gradually  introduced, 
though  in  various  parts  of  the  kingdom  the 
persecuting  spirit  remained  for  several  years 
unbroken.  The  king,  chagrined  by  the  failure 


382  Louis  XIV  [1711. 

Distress  in  France.  The  dauphin  taken  sick. 

of  his  plans,  would  not  allow  the  word  Protest- 
ant or  Huguenot  to  be  pronounced  in  his  pres- 
ence. 

The  distress  in  France  was  dreadful.  A  win- 
ter of  unprecedented  severity  had  even  frozen 
the  impetuous  waters  of  the  Rhone.  Provisions 
commanded  famine  prices.  The  fields,  were 
barren,  the  store -houses  exhausted,  the  mer- 
chant ships  were  captured  by  the  enemy,  and 
the  army,  humiliated  by  frequent  defeats,  was 
perishing  with  hunger.  The  people  became 
desperate.  The  king  was  ignominiously  lam- 
pooned and  placarded.  He  dared  not  appear 
in  public,  for  starving  crowds  gathered  around 
his  carriage  clamoring  for  bread.  Even  the 
king  and  the  nobility  sent  their  plate  to  the 
Mint.  The  exhaustion  of  the  realm  had  be- 
come so  complete  that  the  haggard  features  of 
want  seemed  to  be  staring  in  even  at  the  win- 
dows of  the  palace.  Madame  de  Maintenon 
practiced  so  much  self-denial  as  to  eat  only 
oaten  bread. 

In  April  of  1711  the  dauphin  was  taken  sick 
with  apparently  an  attack  of  fever.  It  proved 
to  be  malignant  smallpox.  After  a  brief  sick- 
ness, which  terrified  and  dispersed  the  court, 
he  died,  almost  alone,  in  a  burning  fever,  with 


1711.]       INTRIGUES  AND  "WARS.  383 


Death  and  burial  of  the  dauphin. 


a  frightfully  swollen  face,  and  in  delirium. 
Even  the  king  could  not  visit  the  dying  cham- 
ber of  his  son.  He  fainted  upon  his  sofa  when 
he  heard  that  the  dauphin  was  in  his  last  ago- 
nies. 

The  terror-stricken  courtiers  fled  from  the 
palace  of  Meudon,  where  the  loathsome  re- 
mains of  the  heir  to  the  throne  of  France 
awraited  buriaL  The  corpse  was  hurried  into 
a  plain  coffin,  which  was  not  even  covered  by 
the  royal  pall.  Not  a  single  mourning  coach 
followed  the  only  legitimate  son  of  Louis  XIV. 
to  the  grave.  He  had  two  sisters,  the  Princess 
of  Conti  and  the  Duchess  of  Bourbon  Conde. 
Neither  of  them  ventured  to  join  the  funeral 
procession  of  their  only  brother.  He  had  three 
sons,  Louis,  Philip,  and  Charles.  Philip  was 
king  of  Spain.  Louis  and  Charles  were  at 
home.  But  they  kept  at  a  safe  distance,  as  did 
the  king  his  father,  from  the  meagre  funeral 
procession  which  bore,  with  indecent  haste,  the 
remains  of  the  prince  to  the  vaults  of  St. Denis. 


384.  Louis  XIV.  [171* 

The  Duke  of  Burgoyne.  Hi»  character. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
THE  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIV. 

UPON"  the  death  of  the  king's  son,  the  Duke 
of  Burgoyne  assumed  the  title  of  Dau- 
phin, which  his  father  had  previously  borne, 
and  became  direct  heir  to  the  crown.  He  was 
a  retiring,  formal  man,  very  much  devoted  to 
study,  and  somewhat  pedantic.  He  was  also 
religiously  inclined.  In  his  study,  where  he 
passed,  most  of  his  time,  he  divided  his  hours 
between  works  of  devotion  and  books  of  sci- 
ence. His  sudden  advent  to  the  direct  heir- 
ship  to  the  French  throne  surrounded  him  with 
courtiers  and  flatterers.  The  palace  at  Men- 
don,  where  he  generally  resided,  was  now 
crowded  wTith  noble  guests. 

He  became  affable,  frequently  showed  him- 
self in  public,  entered  into  amusements,  and 
was  soon  regarded  as  a  general  favorite. 
Taught  by  Madame  de  Maintenon,  he  succeed- 
ed, by  his  marked  respect  for  the  king  and  his 
submission  to  his  slightest  wishes,  in  gaining 
the  good  will  of  the  homage-loving  monarch. 
The  years  had  rolled  rapidly  along,  and  the 


1712.]  LAST  DAYS   OF  Louis  XIV.     385 

The  dauphiness  poisoned  by  means  of  snuff. 

young  dauphin  was  thirty  years  of  age.     He 
had  three  children,  and,  being  irreproachable 
in  his  domestic  relations,  was  developing  a  very 
noble  character.     The  dauphiness  had  attain 
ed  her  twenty-seventh  year.     She  was  an  ex 
tremely  beautiful  and  fascinating  woman. 

The  dauphiness  was  fond  of  snuff.  On  the 
3d  of  February,  1712,  the  Duke  de  Noailles,  a 
true  friend,  presented  her  with  a  box  of  Span- 
ish snuff,  with  which  she  was  delighted.  She 
left  the  box  upon  the  table  in  her  boudoir.  It 
was  there  for  a  couple  of  days,  she  frequently 
indulging  in  the  luxury  of  a  pinch.  On  the 
5th  she  was  attacked  with  sudden  sickness,  ac- 
companied by  shivering  fits,  burning  fever,  and 
intense  pain  in  the  head.  The  attack  was  so 
audden  and  extraordinary  that  all  the  attend- 
ants thought  of  poison,  though  none  ventured 
to  give  utterance  to  the  surmise.  For  four 
days  she  grew  worse,  with  frequent  seasons  of 
delirium.  The  dauphin  was  almost  frantic. 
The  king  sat  in  anguish,  hour  after  hour,  at 
her  bedside. 

Nc  remedies  were  of  any  avail.  Her  suffer- 
ings were  so  great  that  the  dauphin  could  not 
remain  in  her  dying  chamber  to  witness  her 
agony.  She  was  greatly  surprised  when  in- 


386  Louis  XIV.  [1712. 

Anguish  of  the  king.  Death.  The  dauphin  taken  11L 

formed  that  she  must  die.  All  the  offices  of 
the  Church  were  attended  to.  She  received 
the  rite  of  extreme  unction,  and,  in  the  wild- 
ness  of  delirium,  lost  all  recognition  of  those 
who  were  around  her.  The  king,  bowed  down 
with  anguish,  was  with  difficulty  prevailed 
upon  to  retire.  He  had  but  reached  the  door 
of  the  palace  when  she  expired. 

The  king  was  now  a  world-weary,  heart- 
stricken  old  man,  who  had  numbered  more 
than  his  threescore  years  and  ten.  He  seem- 
ed crushed  with  grief,  and  his  eyes  were  flood- 
ed with  tears  as  he  returned,  with  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  to  Marly.  The  apartment  which 
the  dauphin  paced  in  agony  was  immediately 
above  the  dying  chamber.  As  soon  as  the 
death-struggle  was  over,  he  was  induced  to  re- 
tire to  Marly,  that  he  might  be  spared  the  an- 
guish of  witnessing  the  preparations  for  the 
funeral. 

As  the  dauphin  entered  the  chamber  of  the 
king,  the  monarch  was  startled  in  witnessing 
the  change  which  had  taken  place  in  his  ap- 
pearance. His  face  was  flushed  with  fever; 
his  eyes  were  dilated  and  inflamed,  and  livid 
stains  covered  his  face.  It  was  manifest  that 
the  same  disease,  whatever  it  was,  which  had 


1712.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIV.     387 


Death  of  the  dauphin. 


stricken  down  the  dauphiness,  had  also  attack- 
ed the  dauphin.  The  malady  made  rapid 
progress.  In  the  intensity  of  his  anguish,  the 
sufferer  declared  his  entrails  were  on  fire. 
Conscious  that  his  dying  hour  had  come,  he, 
on  the  night  of  the  17th,  partook  of  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  almost  imme- 
diately expired. 

The  dreadful  tidings  were  conveyed  to  the 
king  as  he  sat  in  the  apartment  of  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  with  the  younger  brother  of  the 
dauphin,  Charles,  the  duke  de  Berri,  by  his 
side.  The  king,  anticipating  the  announce- 
ment, sat  with  his  head  bent  down  upon  his 
breast,  and  clasping  almost  convulsively  the 
hand  of  the  prince  who  sat  at  his  feet.  Throw- 
ing his  arms  around  the  neck  of  the  Duke  de 
Berri,  the  king  exclaimed,  in  accents  of  despair, 
"  Alas !  my  son,  you  alone  are  now  left  to  me." 

The  Duke  of  Burgoyne  had  buried  three 
children.  There  were  two  then  living.  The 
eldest,  the  Duke  of  Bretagne,  was  five  years  of 
age.  The  youngest,  the  Duke  of  Anjou,  had 
just  attained  his  second  year.  By  the  death 
of  the  Duke  of  Burgoyne,  his  eldest  child  be- 
came the  dauphin  and  the  immediate  heir  to 
the  crown.  The  next  day  both  of  these  chil- 


3*8  Louis  XIV.  [1712. 

Death  of  the  child-dauphin.  The  Duke  of  Orleans 

dren  were  taken  sick,  evidently  with  the  same 
malady,  whether  of  natural  disease  or  the  ef- 
fect of  poison,  which  had  proved  so  fatal  to 
their  parents.  The  eldest  immediately  died. 
The  same  funeral  car  conveyed  the  remains  of 
the  father,  the  mother,  and  the  child  to  the 
gloomy  vaults  of  St.  Denis. 

The  youngest  child,  the  Duke  of  Anjou,  by 
the  most  careful  nursing  recovered  to  ascend 
the  throne  with  the  title  of  Louis  XV.,  and  to 
present  to  the  world,  in  his  character,  one  of 
the  ~most  infamous  kings  who  had  ever  worn 
an  earthly  crown. 

We  have  previously  mentioned  the  death  of 
the  king's  only  brother,  Philip,  duke  of  Or- 
leans. He  left  a  son,  the  Duke  of  Chartres. 
Upon  the  ddath  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans  his 
son  inherited  the  title  and  the  estate  of  his  fa- 
ther. He  was  an  exceedingly  dissolute  man. 
Should  all  the  legitimate  descendants  of  the 
king  die,  he  would  be  heir  to  the  throne. 
With  the  exception  of  Philip,  who  was  King 
of  Spain,  and  thus  precluded  from  inheriting 
the  throne  of  France,  all  were  now  dead  ex- 
cept the  infant  Duke  of  Anjou.  The  death 
of  that  child  would  place  the  crown  upon  the 
brow  of  Philip,  duke  of  Orleans. 


1712.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIV.     389 

He  is  suspected  as  the  poisoner.  A  quarrel  and  its  result. 

As  it  was  evident  that  all  these  victims  had 
died  of  poison,  suspicion  was  so  directed  against 
the  Duke  of  Orleans  that  the  accusation  was 
often  hooted  at  him  in  the  streets.  There  is, 
however,  no  convincing  evidence  that  he  was 
guilty.  One  of  the  daughters  of  the  Duke  of 
Orleans  had  married  the  Duke  de  BerrL  She 
was  as  wicked  as  she  was  beautiful,  and  scarce- 
ly condescended  to  disguise  her  profligacy. 
The  duke  intercepted  some  letters  which 
proved  her  guilty  intimacy  with  an  officer  of 
her  household.  A  violent  quarrel  took  place 
in  the  royal  presence.  The  husband  kicked 
his  wife  with  his  heavy  boot,  and  the  king  lift- 
ed his  cane  to  strike  the  duke. 

A  sort  of  reconciliation  was  effected.  The 
duchess,  who,  beyond  all  doubt,  was  a  guilty 
woman,  professed  to  be  satisfied  with  the  apolo- 
gies which  her  husband  made.  Soon  after  they 
went  on  a  wolf-hunt  in  the  forest  of  Marly. 
Both  appeared  in  high  spirits.  The  run  was- 
long.  Heated  by  the  race  and  thirsty,  the  duke 
asked  the  duchess  if  she  had  any  thing  with 
her  with  which  he  could  quench  his  thirst. 
She  drew  from  the  pocket  of  her  carriage  a 
small  bottle,  which  contained,  she  said,  an  ex- 
quisite cordial  with  which  she  was  always  pro- 


390  Louis  XIY.  [1712. 

Death  of  the  Duke  de  Berri.  Anguish  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans. 

vided  in  case  of  over-fatigue.  The  duke  drain- 
ed it,  and  returned  the  empty  bottle  to  the 
duchess.  As  she  took  it  she  said,  with  a  smile, 
"  I  am  very  glad  to  have  met  you  so  oppor- 
tunely." 

Thus  they  parted.  In  a  few  hours  the  duke 
was  a  corpse.  It  was  so  manifestly  for  the  in- 
terest of  the  dissolute  and  unprincipled  Duke 
of  Orleans  that  the  princes  which  stood  be- 
tween him  and  the  throne  should  be  removed, 
that  all  these  cases  of  poisoning  were  attributed 
to  him.  Indeed,  one  of  the  motives  which 
might  have  influenced  his  daughter,  the  Duch- 
ess de  Berri,  to  poison  her  husband,  whom  she 
loathed,  may  have  been  the  hope  of  seeing  her 
father  upon  the  throne.  When  the  funeral 
procession  passed  near  the  Palais  Royal,  the 
residence  of  the  duke,  the  tumult  was  so  great 
that  it  was  feared  that  the  palace  might  be 
sacked. 

The  anguish  of  the  duke,  thus  clamorously 
assailed  with  the  crime  of  the  most  atrocious 
series  of  assassinations,  was  great.  A  friend, 
the  Marquis  de  Canillac,  calling  upon  him  one 
day,  found  him  prostrate  upon  the  floor  of  his 
apartment  in  utter  despair.  He  knew  that  he 
was  suspected  by  his  uncle  the  king,  and  by 


1712.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XI\r     391 

Feelings  of  the  king.  The  regency.  Intrigues  and  plots. 

the  court  as  well  as  by  the  populace.  At  last 
he  went  boldly  to  the  king,  and  demanded  that 
he  should  be  arrested,  sent  to  the  Bastile,  and 
put  upon  trial.  The  king  sternly,  and  without 
any  manifestation  of  sympathy,  refused,  saying 
that  such  a  scandal  should  not,  with  his  con- 
sent, be  made  any  more  public  than  it  already 
was.  The  king  also  recoiled  from  the  idea  of 
having  a  prince  of  the  blood  royal  tried  for 
murder. 

As  it  was  known  that  the  king  could  not  live 
long,  and  a  babe  of  but  two  years  was  to  be  his 
successor — a  feeble  babe,  who  had  already  nar- 
rowly escaped  death  by  poison,  the  question  of 
the  regency,  during  the  minority  of  this  babe, 
and  of  heirship  to  the  throne  in  case  the  babe 
should  die,  became  a  matter  of  vast  moment. 
The  court  was  filled  with  intrigues  and  plots. 
The  Duke  of  Orleans  had  his  numerous  parti- 
sans, men  of  opulence  and. rank.  He  was  but  a 
nephew  of  the  king — son  of  the  king's  brother. 

On  the  other  hand  was  the  Duke  du  Maine, 
an  acknowledged  son  of  the  king — the  legiti- 
mated son  of  Madame  de  Montpensier,  But 
no  royal  decree,  no  act  of  Parliament  could 
obliterate  the  stain  of  his  birth.  He  had  many 
and  powerful  supporters,  who,  by  his  accession 


392  Louis  XIV.  [1712. 

Louis  harassed.  The  Duke  of  Orleans  removes  to  St.  Cloud 

to  power,  would  be  placed  in  all  the  offices  of 
honor  and  emolument.  Madame  de  Mainte- 
nou,  in  herself  a  host,  was  one  of  the  most  de- 
voted of  his  friends.  She  had  been  his  tutor. 
She  had  ever  loved  him  ardently.  He  had  also 
pledged  her,  in  case  of  his  success,  that  she 
should  be  recognized  as  Queen  of  France. 

The  monarch  was  harassed  and  bewildered 
by  these  contending  factions.  The  populace 
took  sides.  The  Duke  of  Orleans  could  not 
leave  his  palace  without  being  exposed  to  the 
hootings  of  the  rabble.  He  withdrew  from 
his  city  residence,  the  Palais  Royal,  to  the  splen- 
did palace  of  St.  Cloud.  He  was  accompanied 
by  a  magnificent  train  of  nobles,  and,  being  a 
man  of  almost  boundless  wealth,  he  established 
his  court  here  in  regal  splendor. 

There  was  no  proof  that  the  Duke  of  Or- 
leans was  implicated  in  the  poisonings.  The 
king  was  unwilling  to  receive  evidence  that  his 
brother's  son  could  be  guilty  of  such  a  crime. 
Being  superstitiously  a  religionist-,  the  king  re- 
coiled from  the  attempt  to  place  upon  the 
throne  a  son  of  Madame  de  Montespan,  who 
was  the  acknowledged  wife  of  another  man. 
He  therefore  favored  the  claims  of  the  Duke 
of  Orleans,  and  sent  him  word  at  St.  Cloud  that 


1712.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIV,     393 

Policy.          Wretchedness  of  the  king.          The  Duchess  de  Berri. 

he  recognized  his  innocence  of  the  crime  of 
which  public  rumor  accused  him. 

It  is,  however,  very  evident  that  this  was  a 
measure  of  policy  and  not  of  sincere  convic- 
tion. He  entered  into  no  friendly  relations 
with  the  duke,  and  kept  him  at  a  respectful 
distance.  The  disastrous  war  of  the  Spanish 
Succession  was  now  closed,  through  the  curi- 
ous complications  of  state  policy.  Philip  VI. 
retained  his  throne,  but  France  was  exhaust- 
ed and  impoverished.  The  king  often  sat  for 
hours,  with  his  head  leaning  upon  his  hand,  in 
a  state  of  profound  listlessness  and  melancholy. 
Famine  was  ravaging  the  land.  A  wail  of  woe 
•came  from  millions  whom  his  wars  and  extrav- 
agance had  reduced  to  starvation. 

The  Duchess  de  Berri,  the  unblushing  prof- 
ligate, the  undoubted  murderess,  was,  as  the 
daughter  of  the  king's  brother,  the  only  legiti- 
mate princess  left  to  preside  over  the  royal 
court.  She  was  fascinating  in  person  and  man- 
ners, with  scarcely  a  redeeming  virtue  to  atone 
for  her  undisguised  vices. 

"  Thus  the  stately  court  of  Anne  of  Austria, 
the  punctilious  circle  of  Maria  Theresa,  and 
the  elegant  society  of  the  Duchess  of  Burgoyne 
were — at  the  very  period  of  his  life  when  Louis 


394  Louis  XIV.  [1712, 

Plottings.  The  council  of  regency. 

XIV.,  at  length  disenchanted  of  the  greatness, 
and  disgusted  with  the  vices  of  the  world,  wa& 
seeking  to  purify  his  heart  and  to  exalt  hie 
thoughts  that  they  might  become  more  meet 
for  heaven — superseded  by  the  orgies  of  a  wan- 
ton, who,  with  unabashed  brow  and  unshrink- 
ing eye,  carried  her  intrigues  into  the  very  sa- 
loons of  Marly."* 

Madame  de  Maintenon  resorted  to  every 
measure  she  could  devise  to  induce  the  king  tc* 
appoint  her  favorite  pupil,  the  Duke  du  Maine, 
regent  during  the  minority  of  the  infant  Duke 
of  Anjou.  The  king  was  greatly  harassed.  Old, 
infirm,  world-weary,  heart-stricken,  and  pulled 
in  opposite  directions,  by  powers  so  strong,  he 
knew  not  what  to  do.  At  last  he  adopted  a 
sort  of  compromise,  which  gave  satisfaction  to- 
neither  party.* 

The  king  appointed  a  council  of  regency,, 
of  which  the  Duke  of  Orleans  was  president. 
But  the  Duke  du  Maine  was  a  member  of  the 
council,  and  was  also  intrusted  with  the  guard- 
ianship and  education  of  the  young  heir  to  the 
throne.  This  will  was  carefully  concealed  in 
a  cavity  opened  in  the  wall  of  a  tower  of  the 
state  apartment.  The  iron  door  of  this  closet 

*  Louis  XIV.  and  the  Court  of  France,  vol.  ii.,  p.  588. 


1715.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIV.     395 

The  last  testament  of  the  king.  Unsatisfactory. 

was  protected  by  three  keys,  one  of  which  was 
held  by  the  president  of  the  chambers,  one  by 
the  attorney  general,  and  one  by  the  public 
registrar. 

A  royal  edict  forbade  the  closet  to  be  opened 
until  after  the  death  of  the  king,  and  then  only 
in  the  presence  of  the  assembled  Parliament, 
the  princes,  and  the  peers.  The  document  had 
been  extorted  from  the  king.  It  was  not  in 
accordance  with  his  wishes.  Indeed,  it  satis- 
fied no  one.  As  he  placed  the  papers  in  the 
hands  of  the  president  of  the  chambers,  he  said 
to  him,  gloomily, 

"  Here  is  my  will.  The  experience  of  my 
predecessors  has  taught  me  that  it  may  not  be 
respected.  But  I  have  been  tormented  to  frame 
it.  I  have  been  allowed  neither  peace  nor  rest 
until  I  complied.  Take  it  away.  Whatever 
may  happen  to  it,  I  hope  that  I  shall  now  be 
left  in  quiet.'5* 

The  advanced  age  of  the  king  and  his  many 
infirmities  rendered  even  a  slight  indisposition 
alarming.  On  the  evening  of  the  3d  of  May, 
1715,  the  king,  having  supped  with  the  Duch- 
ess de  Berri,  retired  to  bed  early,  complain- 
ing of  weariness  and  exhaustion.  The  rumor 

*  Meraoires  de  St.  Simon. 


396  Louis  XIV.  [1715. 

Sickness  of  the  king.  The  last  review. 

spread  rapidly  that  the  king  was  dangerously 
sick.  The  foreign  embassadors  promptly  dis- 
patched the  news  to  their  several  courts. 

The  jealous  king,  who  kept  himself  minute- 
ly informed  of  every  thing  which  transpired,, 
was  very  indignant  in  view  of  this  apparent 
eagerness  to  hurry  him  to  the  tomb.  To  provey 
not  only  to  the  court,  but  to  all  Europe,  that  h& 
was  still  every  inch  a  king,  he  ordered  a  mag- 
nificent review  of  the  royal  troops  at  Marly. 
The  trumpet  of  preparation  was  blown  loudly. 
Many  came,  not  only  from  different  parts  of 
the  kingdom,  but  from  the  other  states  of  Eu- 
rope, to  witness  the  spectacle.  It  took  place- 
on  the  20th  of  June,  1715.  As  the  troops,  in 
their  gorgeous  uniforms,  defiled  before  the  ter- 
race of  Marly,  quite  a  spruce-looking  man,  sur- 
rounded by  obsequious  attendants,  emerged 
from  the  principal  entrance  of  the  palace,  de- 
scended the  marble  steps  and  mounted  his- 
horse.  It  was  the  poor  old  king.  Inspired  by 
vanity,  which  even  dying  convulsions  could  not 
quell,  he  had  rouged  his  pale  and  haggard 
cheeks,  wigged  his  thin  locks,  padded  his  skel- 
eton limbs,  and  dressed  himself  in  the  almost 
juvenile  costume  of  earlier  years.  Sustained 
by  artificial  stimulants,  this  poor  old  man  kept 


1715.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIV.     397 

Struggles  against  death.  Affects  youthfulness. 

his  tottering  seat  upon  his  saddle  for  four  long 
hours.  He  then,  having  proved  that  he  was 
.still  young  and  vigorous,  returned  to  his  cham- 
ber. The  wig  was  thrown  aside,  the  pads  re- 
moved, the  paint  washed  off,  and  the  infirm 
^septuagenarian  sought  rest  from  his  exhaus- 
tion upon  the  royal  couch. 

Day  after  day  the  king  grew  more  feeble, 
with  the  usual  alternations  of  nervous  strength 
and  debility,  but  with  no  abatement  of  his 
chronic  gloom.  The  struggles  which  he  en- 
dured to  conceal  the  approaches  of  decay  did 
but  accelerate  that  decay.  He  was  restless, 
and  again  lethargic.  Dropsical  symptoms  ap- 
peared in  his  discolored  feet  and  swollen  an- 
kles. Still  he  insisted  every  day  upon  seeing 
his  ministers,  and  exhibited  himself  padded, 
and  rouged,  and  costumed  in  the  highest  style 
of  art.  He  even  affected,  in  his  gait  and  ges- 
ture, the  elasticity  of  youth.  In  his  restless- 
ness, the  king  repaired,  with  his  court,  from 
Marly  to  Versailles. 

Here  the  king  was  again  taken  seriously  sick 
with  an  attack  of  fever.  "With  unabated  reso- 
lution, he  continued  his  struggles  against  the 
approaches  of  the  angel  of  death.  While  the 
fevered  blood  was  throbbing  in  his  veins,  he 


398  Louis  XIV.  [1715. 

Summons  a  band.  Scene  in  the  death-chamber. 

declared  that  he  was  but  slightly  indisposed, 
and  summoned  a  musical  band  to  his  presence, 
with  orders  that  the  musicians  should  perform 
only  the  most  animating  and  cheerful  melo- 
dies. 

But  the  fever  and  other  alarming  symptoms- 
increased  so  rapidly  that  scarcely  had  the  band 
been  assembled  when  the  court  physicians  be- 
came apprehensive  that  the  king's  dissolution 
was  immediately  to  take  place.  The  king's 
confessor  and  the  Cardinal  de  Rohan  were 
promptly  summoned  to  attend  to  the  last  ser- 
vices of  the  Catholic  Church  for  the  dying. 
There  was  a  scene  of  confusion  in  the  palace. 
The  confessor,  Le  Tellier,  communicated  to  the 
king  the  intelligence  that  he  was  probably 
near  his  end.  While  he  was  receiving  the 
confession  of  the  royal  penitent,  the  cardinal 
was  hurrying  to  the  chapel  to  get  the  viaticum 
for  administering  the  communion,  and  the 
holy  oil  for  the  rite  of  extreme  unction. 

It  was  customary  that  the  pyx,  as  the  box 
was  called  in  which  the  host  was  kept,  should 
be  conveyed  to  the  bedside  of  expiring  royalty 
in  formal  procession.  The  cardinal,  in  his 
robes  of  office,  led  the  way.  Several  attend- 
ants of  the  royal  household  followed,  bearing 


1715.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIY.     399 

The  last  offices  of  the  Church.  The  king  resigned. 

torches.  Then  came  Madame  de  Maintenon. 
/They  all  gathered  in  the  magnificent  chamber, 
and  around  the  massive,  sumptuous  couch  of 
the  monarch.  The  cardinal,  after  speaking  a 
few  words  in  reference  to  the  solemnity  of  a 
dying  hour,  administered  the  sacrament  and 
the  holy  oils.  The  king  listened  reverently 
and  in  silence,  and  then  sank  back  upon  his 
pillow,  apparently  resigned  to  die. 

To  the  surprise  of  all,  he  revived.  Patiently 
lie  bore  his  sufferings,  which  at  times  were  se- 
vere. His  legs  began  to  swell  badly  and  pain- 
fully. Mortification  took  place.  He  was  in- 
formed that  the  amputation  of  the  leg  was 
necessary  to  save  him  from  speedy  death. 

"Will  the  operation  prolong  my  life?"  in- 
quired the  king. 

"Yes, sire,"  the  surgeon  replied;  "certainly 
for  some  days,  perhaps  for  several  weeks." 

"If  that  be  all,"  said  the  king,  "it  is  not 
worth  the  suffering.  God's  will  be  done." 

The  king  could  not  conceal  the  anguish  with 
which  he  was  agitated  in  view  of  his  wicked 
life.  He  fully  believed  in  the  religion  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  that  after  death  came  the 
judgment.  He  tried  to  believe  that  the  priest 
3iad  power  to  grant  him  absolution  from  his 


400  Louis  XIV. 


Remorse  of  the  king.  Energy  of  fanaticism. 

sins.     How  far  lie  succeeded  in  this  no  one? 
can  know. 

Openly  he  expressed  his  anguish  in  view  of 
the  profligacy  of  his  youth,  and  wept  bitterly 
in  the  retrospect  of  those  excesses.  We  know 
not  what  compunctions  of  conscience  visited 
him  as  he  reflected  upon  the  misery  he  had 
caused  by  the  persecution  of  the  Protestants* 
But  he  had  been  urged  to  this  by  his  highest 
ecclesiastics,  and  even  by  the  holy  father  him- 
self. 

It  would  not  be  strange,  under  these  circum- 
stances, if  a  man  of  his  superstitious  and  fanat- 
ical spirit  should,  even  in  a  dying  hour,  reflect 
with  some  complacency  upon  these  crimes,  be- 
lieving that  thus  he  had  been  doing  God  serv- 
ice. It  is  this  which  gives  to  papal  fanaticism 
its  terrible  and  demoniac  energy.  The  sincere 
papist  believes  "  heresy"  to  be  poison  for  the- 
soul  infinitely  more  dreadful  than  any  poison; 
for  the  body.  Such  poison  must  be  banished 
from  the  world  at  whatever  cost  of  suffering. 
Many  an  ecclesiastic  has  gone  from  his  closet 
of  prayer  to  kindle  the  flames  which  consumed 
his  victim.  The  more  sincere  the  papist  is  in 
his  belief,  the  more  mercilessly  will  he  swing 
the  scourge  and  fire  the  fagot. 


1715.]  L.~ST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIV.    401 


Deplorable  condition  of  France. 


Loudly,  however,  he  deplored  the  madness 
of  his  ambition  which  had  involved  Europe  in 
such  desolating  wars.  Bitterly  he  expressed 
his  regret  that  he  left  France  in  a  state  of  such 
exhaustion,  impoverished,  burdened  with  taxa- 
tion, and  hopelessly  crushed  by  debt. 

The  condition  of  the  realm  was  indeed  de- 
plorable. A  boy  of  five  years  of  age  was  to 
inherit  the  throne.  A  man  so  profligate  that 
he  was  infamous  even  in  a  court  which  rival- 
ed Sodom  in  its  corruption  was  to  be  invested 
with  the  regency  of  the  kingdom — a  man  who 
was  accused,  by  the  general  voice  of  the  nation, 
of  having  poisoned  those  who  stood  between 
him  and  the  throne.  That  man's  sister,  an  un- 
blushing wanton,  who  had  poisoned  her  own 
husband,  presided  over  the  festivities  of  the 
palace.  The  nobles,  abandoned  to  sensual  in- 
dulgence, were  diligent  and  ingenious  only  in 
their  endeavors  to  wrench  money  from  the 
poor.  The  masses  of  the  people  were  wretch- 
ed beyond  description,  and  almost  beyond  im- 
agination in  our  land  of  liberty  and  compe- 
tence. The  execrations  of  the  starving  mil- 
lions were  rising  in  a  long  wail  around  the 
throne. 

Thomas  Jefferson,  subsequently  President  of 
1—26 


402  Louis  XIV.  [1715. 

Testimony  of  Thomas  Jefferson.  Napoleon. 

the  United  States,  who,  not  many  years  after 
this,  was  the  American  embassador  at  Paris, 
wrote,  in  1785,  to  Mrs.  Trist,  of  Philadelphia, 

"  Of  twenty  millions  of  people  supposed  to 
be  in  France,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  there 
are  nineteen  millions  more  wretched,  more  ac- 
cursed in  every  circumstance  of  human  exist- 
ence than  the  most  conspicuously  wretched  in- 
dividual of  the  whole  United  States." 

Even  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  the  appointed 
regent,  said,  "  If  I  were  a  subject  I  would  cer- 
tainly revolt.  The  people  are  good-natured 
fools  to  suffer  so  long." 

These  sufferings  and  these  corruptions  were 
the  origin  and  cause  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tion.* Napoleon,  the  great  advocate  of  the 
rights  of  the  people  in  antagonism  to  this  aris- 
tocratic privilege,  said,  at  St.  Helena, 

"  Our  Revolution  was  a  national  convulsion 
as  irresistible  in  its  effects  as  an  eruption  of 
Vesuvius.  When  the  mysterious  fusion  which 
takes  place  in  the  entrails  of  the  earth  is  at 
such  a  crisis  that  an  explosion  follows,  the 
eruption  bursts  forth.  The  unperceived  work- 
ings of  the  discontent  of  the  people  follow  ex- 

*  Abbott's  French  Revolution,  as  viewed  in  the  Light  of 
Republican  Institutions. 


1715.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIY.    403 

Devotion  of  Madame  de  Maintenon.  Last  messages. 

actly-the  same  course.  In  France,  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  people,  the  moral  combinations 
which  produce  a  revolution,  had  arrived  at 
maturity,  and  the  explosion  took  place."* 

Such  was  the  condition  in  which  unhappy 
France  was  left  by  Louis  XJY.,  after  a  reign 
of  seventy  years.  He  was  now  seventy-seven 
years  of  age.  Madame  de  Maintenon,  two 
years  his  senior,  was  entering  her  eightieth 
year.  "With  unwearied  devotion  she  watched 
at  the  bedside 'of  that  seltish  husband  whose 
pride  would  never  allow  him  to  acknowledge 
her  publicly  as  his  wife.  , 

Feeling  that  his  end  was  drawing  near,  the 
king  summoned  the  Duke  of  Orleans  to  his 
bedside,  and  informed  him  minutely  of  the 
measures  he  wished  to  have  adopted  after  his 
death.  The  duke  listened  respectfully,  but 
paid  no  more  regard  to  the  wishes  of  the  now 
powerless  and  dying  king  than  to  the  wailing 
of  the  wind.  The  king  had  penetration 
enough  to  see  that  his  day  was  over.  He  sank 
back  upon  his  pillow  in  despair. 

On  the  26th  of  August  several  prominent 
members  of  his  court  'were  invited  to  the  dy- 
ing chamber  of  the  king.  His  voice  was  al- 

*  Napoleon  at  St.  Helena,  p.  874 


404  Louis  XIV.  [1715. 

Melancholy  spectacle. 

most  gone.  He  beckoned  them  to  gather  near 
around  his  bed.  Then,  in  feeble  tones,  tremu- 
lous with  emotion,  the  pitiable  old  man,  con- 
scious of  his  summons  to  the  tribunal  of  God, 
said, 

"  Gentlemen,  I  ask  your  pardon  for  the  bad 
example  I  have  set  you.  I  thank  you  for  your 
fidelity  to  me,  and  beg  you  to  be  equally  faith- 
ful to  my  grandson.  Farewell,  gentlemen. 
Forgive  me.  I  hope  you  will  sometimes  think 
of  me  when  I  am  gone." 

"  By  many  a  death-bed  I  have  been, 
By  many  a  sinner's  parting  scene, 
But  never  aught  like  this." 

It  was,  indeed,  a  spectacle  mournfully  sub- 
lime. The  dying  chamber  was  one  of  the 
most  magnificent  apartments  in  the  palace  of 
Versailles.  The  royal  couch,  massive  in  its 
architecture,  richly  curtained  in  its  embroider- 
ed upholstery  of  satin  and  gold,  presented  a 
bed  whose  pillowed  luxury  exhibited  haggard 
death  in  the  strongest  possible  contrast. 

Upon  this  gorgeous  bed  the  gray-haired  king 
reclined,  wrinkled  and  wan,  and  with  a  coun- 
tenance which  bore  the  traces  both  of  physical 
suffering  and  of  keen  remorse.  The  velvet 
hangings  of  the  bed  were  looped  back  with 


1715.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  X1Y.     405 

The  young  heir  to  the  throne.  Dying  advice. 

heavy  tassels  of  gold.  A  group  of  nobles  in 
gorgeous  court  costumes  were  kneeling  around 
the  bed.  Dispersed  over  the  vast  apartment 
were  other  groups  of  courtiers  and  ladies,  in 
picturesque  attitudes  of  real  or  affected  grief. 
The  gilded  cornices,  the  richly-painted  ceilings, 
the  soft  carpet,  yielding  to  the  pressure  of  the 
foot,  the  lavish  display  of  the  most  costly  and 
luxurious  furniture,  all  conspired  to  render  the 
dimmed  eye,  and  wasted  cheek,  and  palsied 
frame  of  the  dying  more  impressive. 

At  a  gesture  from  the  king  nearly  all  retired. 
For  a  few  moments  there  was  unbroken  si- 
lence. The  king  then  requested  his  great 
grandchild,  who  was  to  be  his  successor,  to  be 
brought  to  him.  A  cushion  was  placed  by  the 
side  of  the  bed,  and  the  half -frightened  child, 
clinging  to  the  hand  of  his  governess,  kneeled 
upon  it.  Louis  XIY.  gazed  for  a  few  mo- 
ments with  almost  pitying  tenderness  upon 
the  infant  prince,  and  then  said, 

"  My  child,  you  are  about  to  become  a  great 
king.  Do  not  imitate  me  either  in  my  taste 
for  building  or  in  my  love  of  war.  Live  in 
peace  with  the  nations.  Render  to  God  all 
that  you  owe  him.  Teach  your  subjects  to 
honor  His  name.  Strive  to  relieve  the  bur- 


406  Louis  XIV.  [1715. 

The  king  blesses  the  dauphin. 

dens  of  your  people,  in  which  I  have  been  so 
unfortunate  as  to  fail.  Never  forget  the  grat- 
itude you  owe  to  the  Duchess  de  Ventadour."* 

"Madame,"  said  the  king,  addressing  Ma~ 
dame  de  Yentadour,  "  permit  me  to  embrace 
the  prince." 

The  dauphin  was  placed  upon  the  bed. 
The  king  encircled  him  in  his  arms,  pressed 
him  fondly  to  his  breast,  and  said,  in  a  voice 
broken  by  emotion, 

"I  bless  you,  my  dear  child,  with  all  my 
heart."  He  then  raised  his  eyes  to  heaven, 
and  uttered  a  short  prayer  for  God's  blessing 
upon  the  boy. 

The  next  day,  after  another  night  of  languor 
and  suffering,  the  restless,  conscience-stricken 
king  again  summoned  the  dignitaries  of  the 
court  to  his  bedside,  and  said  to  them,  in  the 
presence  of  Madame  de  Maintenon  and  of  his 
confessor,  who  had  mainly  instigated  him  in 
the  persecution  of  the  Protestants, 

"  Gentlemen,  I  die  in  the  faith  and  obedi- 
ence of  the  Church.  I  know  nothing  of  the 

*  The  Duchess  de  Ventadoar,  by  the  most  careful  nursing, 
to  which  she  entirely  devoted  herself,  had  rescued  the  infant 
Duke  of  Anjou  from  the  effect  of  the  poison  to  which  his  fa- 
ther, mother,  and  brother  had  fallen  victims. 


1715.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIV.     407 

Dying  confession.  Scenes  of  suffering. 

dogmas  by  which  it  is  divided.  I  have  follow- 
ed the  advice  which  I  have  received,  and  have 
done  only  what  1  was  desired  to  do.  If  I  have 
erred,  my  guides  alone  must  answer  before 
God,  whom  1  call  upon  to  witness  this  asser- 
tion." 

The  succeeding  night  the  king  was  restless 
and  greatly  agitated.  He  could  not  sleep,  and 
seemed  to  pass  the  whole  night  in  agonizing 
prayer.  In  the  morning  he  said  to  Madame 
de  Maintenon, 

"  At  this  moment  I  only  regret  yourself.  I 
have  not  made  you  happy.  But  I  have  ever 
felt  for  you  all  the  regard  and  affection  which 
you  deserved.  My  only  consolation  in  leaving 
you  exists  in  the  hope  that  we  shall,  ere  long, 
meet  again  in  eternity." 

Hours  of  agony,  bodily  and  mental,  were 
still  allotted  to  the  king.  His  limbs  were  bad- 
ly swollen.  Upon  one  of  them  mortification 
was  rapidly  advancing.  He  was  often  dfeliri- 
ous,  with  but  brief  intervals  of  consciousness. 
The  service  for  the  dying  was  performed. 
The  ceremony  seemed  slightly  to  arouse  him 
from  his  lethargy.  His  voice  was  heard  occa- 
sionally blending  with  the  prayers  of  the  ec* 
clesiastics  as  he  repeated  several  times, 


408  Louis  XIV.  [1715. 

Last  words.  The  death  of  the  king. 

"Now,  in  the  hour  of  death,  O  my  God, 
come  to  my  aid." 

These  were  his  last  words.  He  sank  back 
insensible  upon  his  pillow.  A  few  hours  ot 
painful  breathing  passed  away,  and  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  Septem- 
ber, 1715,  he  expired,  in  the  seventy-seventh 
year  of  his  age  and  the  seventy-second  of  his 
reign.  It  was  the  longest  reign  in  the  annals 
of  France.  Had  he  been  governed  through 
this  period  by  enlightened  Christian  principle, 
how  many  millions  might  have  been  made 
happy  whom  his  crimes  doomed  to  life-long 
woe! 

An  immense  concourse  was  assembled  in 
the  court-yard  at  Versailles,  anticipating  the 
announcement  of  his  death.  The  moment  he 
breathed  his  last  sigh,  the  captain  of  the  body- 
guard approached  the  great  balcony,  threw 
open  the  massive  windows,  and,  looking  down 
upoQ,  the  multitude  below,  raised  his  truncheon 
above  his  head,  broke  it  in  the  centre,  threw 
the  fragments  down  into  the  court-yard,  and 
cried  sadly,  "  The  king  is  dead !" 

Theri,  instantly  seizing  another  staff  from 
the  hands  of  an  attendant,  he  waved  it  joyful- 
ly above  his  head,  and  shouted  triumphantly, 


1715.]  LAST  DAYS  OF  Louis  XIV.    409 


Louis  XV.  proclaimed. 


Ignominious  burial  of  Louis  XIV. 


"  Long  live  the  king,  Louis  XY. !"  A  huzza 
burst  from  the  lips  of  the  assembled  thousands 
almost  loud  enough  to  pierce  the  ear  of  the 
king,  now  palsied  in  death. 


,HH 


ANNOUNCEMENT  OF  THB  DEATH  OF  LOUIS  XIV. 

There  were  few  to  mourn  the  departed  mon- 
arch. As  his  remains  were  hurried  to  the 
vaults  of  St.  Denis,  those  vaults  which  he  had 
so  much  dreaded,  the  populace  shouted  execra- 
tions and  pelted  his  coffin  with  mud.  Not  the 


410  Louis  XIV.  [1715. 

Louis  XV.  Louis  XVI.  The  Revolution. 

slightest  regard  was  paid  to  his  will.  The 
Duke  of  Orleans  assumed  the  regency  with 
absolute  power.  His  reign  was  execrable,  fol- 
lowed by  the  still  more  infamous  reign  of 
Louis  XY.  Then  came  the  Revolution,  as  the 
sceptre  of  utterly  despotic  sway  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  feeble  Louis  XYI.  The  storm, 
which  had  been  gathering  for  ages,  burst  with 
fury  which  appalled  the  world.  A  more  tre- 
mendous event  has  not  occurred  in  the  history 
of  our  race.  The  story  has  too  often  been 
told  by  those  who  were  in  sympathy  with  the 
kings  and  the  nobles.  The  time  will  come 
when  the  people 's  side  of  the  story  will  be  re- 
ceived, and  the  terrible  drama  will  be  bettej 
understood. 


THE    END. 


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